Mastering a New Start
by BladedScizor
Summary: After being unexpectedly transported to the Pokemon World by an unknown force, Mark must now try to find a place in his new surroundings while trying to find his way back home. Chapter 27, the final chapter of the current story arc, now up. R&R, please.
1. What Just Happened?

Okay, this is my first serious work of writing. With that in mind, I'd appreciate only constructive reviews; if you like what you read and you want to throw up a review, please let me know what you liked. If you hated it, I'd appreciate it if you told me what you didn't like instead of just flaming me. I already have the first eight chapters of this story done, but I'll only post one chapter every other day until I run out of finished ones. After that, my posting schedule will most likely be pretty sporadic.

Little bit of background info: roughly 10 years have passed since the events of the actual show, and I guess everything else will more or less explain itself. Don't worry about pointing out anything that is not done exactly like the show, I probably already know about it and have simply chosen to ignore it.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 1: What Just Happened?**

A key was hurriedly pushed into an ignition. An engine burst to life as the strip of metal was turned. A pair of hazel eyes glanced into a rearview mirror, partially hidden under a crown of messily spiked dark brown hair. A thin mouth framed by a neatly-trimmed goatee formed itself into a grin as the vehicle was filled with the sound of blaring rock music. A head faintly bobbed to the rhythm of the song as the car pulled out of a parking lot and onto the adjacent road.

* * *

Mark didn't hate his job by any means; after all, working at the local GameStop was one of the most enjoyable jobs he ever had. However, being on a schedule had just never completely agreed with him; so he relished the points where there was no longer some sort of plan requiring him to be somewhere and he could do what he wanted. 

He lazily glanced from lane to lane, keeping track of the various vehicles about him, as he kept the car moving in the direction of his apartment. His thoughts, searching about for the first thing that should be done upon arriving home, were broken when a small boy ran into the road not far in front of him. His features did little more than twist into a frown when his foot steadily pushed down the brake, slowing down the car enough that it came to a stop shortly before it could reach the petrified kid.

Mark impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while fighting the urge to glare at the child, who had most likely been scared enough for the time being. When his path was vacated once more, Mark gave an exasperated sigh, wondering what that kid could've been thinking when he continued on.

* * *

Mark perused the features of his apartment upon entering it. A small number of weapons adorned the area, including a long broadsword held onto a wooden plaque hanging from the wall, a bo-staff leaning in a corner, numerous chips and scratches indicating it was well-used, and, his personal favorite, a gleaming, black-handled katana held on a mount over his entertainment center. Granted, he wasn't formally trained in the use of most of them, but he enjoyed collecting them. 

A frame on the wall held a certificate indicating his being recognized as a green belt in Seibukan Karate. Mark often regretted the fact that he no longer lived near enough to his instructor to train with him more than occasionally anymore, but he felt there wasn't much that could be done about that at the moment.

An entertainment center was filled with a respectably sized television, a DVD player surrounded by cases containing numerous action and comedy movies, and a number of gaming systems. Old school gaming classics and new gaming technology continuously warred for his attention, and he had yet to decide which he preferred.

* * *

Mark ignored all these for the time being, his athletic form striding towards his bedroom instead. His quest to check his e-mail was cut short as his vision was suddenly filled by a bright light that was just short of blinding. His eyes swept from side to side, but were unable to distinguish anything from the rudely persistent glow. 

After a few moments, a small shadow suddenly appeared in the center of Mark's vision, but vanished just as quickly. As if the shadow itself triggered it, the light began to dim, giving way to a blurred wave of brown and green. Mark immediately felt the unmistakable sensation of the spring sun's gentle warmth on him, followed by the equally distinctive sense of a light breeze against his left side.

After rubbing his eyes, Mark found the green and brown haze replaced by a lush forest. Quick jerks of his head in every direction confirmed that he was at the edge of this forest, and that he was standing next to a road that seemed to separate the forest from a grassy field that stretched out to the edge of his vision.

After calming himself as much as he could, Mark soon found himself scratching his head. Spending one moment in your own apartment and the next in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere didn't really strike him as something that happens in a typical day. He considered that it could have been a dream, but he dismissed the notion, sincerely hoping that he could not actually fall asleep while he was wide awake and in the middle of walking somewhere.

The futile attempts to determine how and why he was in his current location were quickly abandoned in favor of thoughts that concerned what actions he should take now. After several minutes of deliberation, finding civilization found its way to the top of the 'to-do' list, and the dirt road he was standing next to seemed a convenient way to do so. After a moment, Mark decided to go down the road stretching to his right, and he set off with his eyes continuing to glace from side to side, taking long, leisurely strides in concession of what promised to be a long trek.

* * *

Hours seemed to go by, and the landscape continued its stubborn refusal to display any sign of human habitation. Frustrated thoughts didn't have a chance to enter Mark's mind, as a rustle in the bushes interrupted them just as they were about to form. Not knowing what might happen to live in this area, Mark jumped into a fighting stance; his right leg moved to point forward, his left leg swung back to form a ninety degree angle to it, and his fists positioned themselves in front of him. 

His battle-ready glare was met by a brown-feathered bird that launched itself out of the bushes toward an area somewhere to his left. It was about the size of a chicken, with a short, rounded beak and stripes of tan feathers over the eyes giving an impression of eyebrows. The eyes themselves were its most shocking feature, looking more like they would belong on a human rather than a bird.

A second rustle caught Mark's attention, this one coming from near the tops of the trees. A second, slightly larger creature shot from the green, but this one had a clearly aggressive look about it. Its jagged sharp beak led the red feathered form's flight in the direction of the first bird.

Acting from a sudden instinct, Mark quickly spotted a branch lying on the ground, picked it up, and swung it into the speeding bird's side, sending it crashing to the ground before the pursuer could catch up with the pursued. The animal slid to a stop just short of the nearby road, unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of its chest indicating that it was still breathing. Mark let the branch fall from his hand and carefully made his way to the first creature he had seen, which was now lying on the ground as well.

Though he didn't hate animals by any means, Mark didn't really care much about them either, and he surprised himself by deciding to pick up the feathered oddity and inspect it for injuries. Satisfied that it seemed to be tired more than anything else, Mark returned to the road with the creature cradled in his arms.

"Don't suppose you happen to know where the nearest sign of civilization is, do you?" Mark whispered. He stiffened as the bird's strange eyes opened up at this; it then looked around and, with a faint coo, craned its neck in the direction Mark had been going before settling limply back into his arms.

Mark's right eyebrow jerked up at the unexpected answer to his rhetorical question. "Oookaaay, that was kinda weird" he stated, more to himself than anything. The bird didn't seem to have a response to that, so he relaxed, dismissing its earlier motion as at least harmless before continuing on.

* * *

The trek continued on, and Mark soon found himself ascending as the road took an uphill turn. Exhaustion began to set in, and Mark could feel his energy slip away with every step as every new movement felt more and more forced. Resigned to what was surely going to be another view of uninhabited fields and forest, Mark stared over the crest of the hill once he had reached it. 

Instead, a small village presented itself; it was mostly a gathering of small homes and shops, but there were a few large, sprawling buildings lying at the outskirts of the town. Not willing to stand in one place and study the scenery any longer, Mark raced down the hill as quickly as he could without dislodging his equally exhausted cargo.

As the wildlife on either side of the road gave way to buildings, Mark anxiously searched about in a faint hope that he could find someone who could tell him at least where he was. His efforts were soon rewarded as a man wearing a red polo shirt and tan slacks found himself in Mark's path. With a great deal of effort, Mark slowed himself to a stop before a collision, and additional exertion held the still resting bird back from an unwanted flight.

"Sorry… about that… sir", Mark gasped in between difficult breaths. As the shock dissipated, it suddenly occurred to him that starting a conversation with a bombardment of questions involving what kind of place he was in and what was he doing there might not be the best way to create a first impression. Scrambling about for something to say, he suddenly remembered his passenger.

"I, ah, found this… bird… out in the forest a distance from here; is there anywhere around here it can be checked for injuries?" As the words left his mouth, Mark silently berated himself for how idiotic that had to have sounded. The stranger on the other hand, and much to Mark's surprise, seemed to accept the question as being perfectly normal.

"Of course, just follow me and I'll bring you to the Lab; they'll make sure that Pidgey is as good as new before you know it," was the answer Mark received, delivered by a kind, yet professional voice.

So this type of bird was called a Pidgey; that sounded familiar somehow. Mark inspected his new guide; he was clearly on the older side, with grey hair that was rapidly approaching white that had been groomed so it would sweep to the left side of his head. Surprisingly youthful brown eyes peered out of a face slightly lined with age. Most striking was the air of authority he had about him, as if the man's mere presence could easily command the respect of nearly anyone around him, even if the man himself didn't choose to.

After a short period of walking, the two men and the Pidgey came to one of the larger buildings Mark had noticed upon first spotting the town. It struck Mark as a particularly inviting place, the warm sunlight brightening its off-white walls and reflecting from its clean windows. As the small group casually made its way through the glass doors, Mark realized that he had completely forgotten to introduce himself.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Mark Rowley. I appreciate you taking the time to bring me here." Mark's voice came forth in his most sincerely grateful tone, and the stranger seemed to pick up on this, realizing that this man seemed to have even more pressing concerns behind his worried look than an injured animal.

"Don't worry about it; I was on my way here when you found me anyway. My name is Samuel Oak."

Mark briefly paused at that; Pidgey, Oak, the names reminded him of something, but the more he mulled it over, the more elusive the answers seemed to become. He shook his head firmly, as if trying to jar the solution from his mind by physical force. The shock of what's happening was affecting his thinking, he decided; he'd have to calm down if he was going to figure out anything about what's going on.

* * *

The inside of the lab matched Mark's expectations; his vision was dominated by diligently cleaned lab tables and various pieces of equipment, though the latter were completely unfamiliar to him. Two people were waiting for them, or more precisely, waiting for Oak, considering the inquiring looks made in his direction. 

The man of the duo appeared to be in his mid-twenties, wearing a buttoned white lab coat that draped from his neck to his ankles. Untidy black hair framed the thoughtful look on his face, coming down to just above his shoulders. The young woman was dressed in a cliché nurse's outfit, complete with a cap marked by a red cross crowning her pink-haired head.

"Hello, you two; Nurse Joy, we have a Pidgey here you might want to take a look at," came from Oak, snapping Mark to attention as he held out the bird for the woman to take.

Nurse Joy stepped forward, gently lifted the injured avian from Mark's arms, and soothingly spoke in a low voice, "Relax, I'll make sure your Pokemon is just fine." At this, Mark visibly froze.

Pokemon; now THAT one he recognized immediately. One would be hard pressed to find someone who had Mark's interest in video games who hadn't at least heard of the fictional creatures. Apparently, wherever he was now, they actually existed in reality.

Joy had already turned around, and didn't notice Mark's stunned reaction as she strode from the room. Oak took the opportunity to address him, failing to catch his attention until he cleared his throat exceptionally loudly. Mark blinked as he jerked his head in the direction of the sound.

"Sorry about that, but I believe there is a little more worrying you than a tired Pidgey." Mark sighed at the authoritive tone, unsure of how to proceed. After a few moments' hesitation, he decided the direct option would be the best.

"Okay, I'm not quite sure how to say this and make it sound believable, so I'm just going to say it; I'm not from this world, and Pokemon don't exist in the reality I come from. I was minding my own business in my home, when I suddenly was caught in a bright light, and I wound up in a forest a ways out of this town. I followed a road here hoping to find people, and, now that I have, I really have no idea what to do now."

The two listening men stared blankly; whatever they had been expecting, that definitely wasn't it. The blank looks quickly gave way to ones of deep concentration, and a few moments passed before Oak and the lab coat clad man shared a look that seemed to indicate similar thoughts. Oak spoke again, in a tone that almost seemed to show suppressed excitement:

"When you were surrounded by that light, did you see anything else before you found yourself in the forest?"

Mark took a moment to register the fact that they seemed to accept the story without any further convincing before he recalled that he was being asked a question. He racked his brain for a moment, sifting through his recent memories before a relevant image presented itself to him.

"That's right, I did see a faint shadow in the light for a few seconds; the forest appeared just as the shadow went away." Mark's delight was apparent in his voice, though that gave way to confusion when the man in the lab coat quickly rushed toward what appeared to be a computer. Oak remained where he was, apparently taking it upon himself to explain this latest development.

"You see, over the past few years, scientists have begun to theorize that there are a number of universes alternate to our own. We believe that certain Pokemon may be able to travel between them at will, but no one has yet to find any proof of this. Professor Sketchit and I believe that the shadow you saw may have been a Pokemon with this very ability."

Mark slowly rubbed his forehead, as though the motion would allow the explanation to sink in more thoroughly. Sure, he was familiar with the concept of multiple universes, but he heard of them in movies and books, not in serious scientific research, with the possibility that they might actually exist. Then again, there weren't many other stories that could explain how he suddenly ended up in a world populated by video game characters. For now, he'd trust this explanation, though there was still one thing he didn't understand; he voiced his concern:

"Why me, though? Why now? What would make this Pokemon suddenly decide that I should come to this particular universe?"

Oak closed his eyes and shook his head. "That, I don't know. Sometimes, a Pokemon's intentions can be near impossible to figure out. The best chance you have of finding an answer to those questions is actually finding the one that brought you here and asking it yourself." His tone came out both apologetic and frustrated, clearly not enjoying the feeling of not having an answer available when one was needed.

"I don't suppose there's a way for me get back?" Mark inquired, already dreading the confirmation he knew he would receive from the answer. Oak shook his head again slightly before speaking:

"Many scientists are working on projects meant to allow travel between universes, but at the current rate, it'll be several years before any of them are at a point where they can be tested."

Mark deflated at this, sinking into a nearby chair with his head hung in defeat. He squeezed his eyes shut; somehow hoping he could open them and simply find that he had, in fact, fallen and this whole experience was really nothing more than a dream. His attempts to wish himself away from this strange place were interrupted by a warm hand on his shoulder and a reassuring voice:

"You can stay here as long as it takes," Oak stated. "In Pallet Town, we take care of those who need it, and I can't think of a situation where one would require help more than being in a strange place with nothing but the clothes on one's back." Mark's reply came forth with nothing but sincerity lacing his words:

"Thank you."


	2. What Do I Do Now?

Okay, Chapter Two is up; still not a lot of action yet, but that'll come up soon enough.

Galbinus, I appreciate the review; it gave me a bit to think about. Yeah, I'm 21 years old, which I suppose might offset the fact that I really don't know all that much about actual story writing; college-level English courses and vocabulary for the win!

I got what you meant about the updates, as you may have noticed. Since my chapters are fairly short, I've decided that a new chapter will come every three days instead of four. I didn't quite get what you mean by 'appealing' parts, though; do you mean including more appearances by more of the canon characters? I don't want to spoil too much, but they will play a part in the story, trust me.

As for humor, yeah, I do think that's kinda my weak point in writing. I do seem to be getting better at it, though; future chapters should be more to your liking in that department.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 2: What Do I Do Now?**

The sun rose over the horizon, brightening a particular room within a certain lab situated in a solitary town. A pair of hazel eyes slowly forced themselves open as the sunlight hit them, and their owner lifted his fit body out of a bed. As his eyes grew open enough to take in his surroundings, his head suddenly began to jolt from side to side, not recognizing the bed, or even the room.

Mark stopped his paranoid inspection of his sleeping quarters as the events of the previous day flooded into his mind. After being unexpectedly transported from his home world to this one, he had saved a Pidgey, found his way to Pallet Town, and was allowed by Samuel Oak to stay in one of the spare rooms of the Pokemon Lab.

After pulling on his jeans and dark blue T-shirt from the previous day, Mark ambled down a nearby staircase in a groggy daze. As he found where he recalled being shown the kitchen area the previous day, he half-walked, half-stumbled inside. Nurse Joy was already there, looking exactly as she did the day before; her pink and white nurse's outfit without a single wrinkle and her hair flawlessly styled in what seemed to be her usual look. Apparently, she was a morning person. She was standing at the stove cooking something, though he couldn't see exactly what from this angle.

Joy's naturally cheerful grin grew into a wide, welcoming smile when she turned around and saw him. "Good morning, Mark! Did you sleep well?" she animatedly inquired. Mark responded with a garbled cross between a grunt and a yawn.

Joy's features shifted to reflect confusion, as though she thought the sound was a sort of expression where he was from and was trying to decide how to respond to it. Mark's dulled responses registered the question after a moment, and he shook his head to clear the haze in it before deciding a rephrasing was in order.

"I slept just fine, I'm… just not very good at waking up. Thank you for asking." Nurse Joy seemed to accept this, and her smile returned as she went back to her work. As Mark ventured further into the kitchen, Joy spoke up again:

"Go ahead and sit down at the table; breakfast will be ready in a minute." Mark frowned at this, and took only an instant to voice his concerns:

"Joy, you don't have to cook for me; I'm imposing on you all enough as it is." Joy was unfazed, laughing and waving off the statement as though it was entirely insignificant to her.

"Professor Sketchit is constantly forgetting to cook for himself and probably wouldn't even eat at all if I didn't remind him, so I'm already used to doing all the cooking around here. Besides, I might as well get everyone's breakfast ready at once, don't you agree?" Mark saw the reason in her explanation and quietly sat down at the circular, four-person table.

* * *

The aforementioned minute went by in silence, which was broken by the sound of food being loaded onto plates. Joy turned back toward the table, setting down a plate in front of Mark before laying another at the spot across from him and sitting down behind it. The two ate in silence for a few moments, before Mark cut in with another inquiry: 

"What about Professor… Sketchit, was it? Where is he right now?"

"He's making his early morning rounds in the Preserve at the moment, making sure the nocturnal Pokemon are all asleep in areas where they won't be in the way. He should be coming back here to eat shortly." Nurse Joy's reply came easily, making it clear that this was the everyday routine for them, and Mark's arrival wouldn't change that. Mark himself felt a little bit of relief at this, knowing that he wasn't getting in the way as much as he imagined.

"So, there are quite a few more of these Pokemon living around here?" As Joy answered in the affirmative, Mark went on, this time more to himself, "Might as well go out and see them; if I really am going to be living in this world for as long as it looks like I will, I might as well start making them an everyday sight."

"There are a number of Pokemon here that need to be cared for everyday, almost more than Professor Sketchit and I can manage by ourselves. If you could help, it would be a great deal easier on us." Mark smiled in gratitude at Joy's offered chance to pay his beneficiaries back and gave a brief nod, confirming that he would do just that.

About this time, a mass of billowing white capped by messy black hair burst into the room, grasping the remaining plate of food next to the stove and settling down in the seat to Mark's left. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to both of the people already seated before working down the cooking, his haste making it clear he was taking this meal only as a concession to Nurse Joy and was hoping to get back to his beloved work as soon as possible.

The trio finished breakfast at about the same time, and as Professor Sketchit rushed out of the kitchen and through a hall unfamiliar to Mark, Nurse Joy spoke again:

"We'll catch up with him soon enough, but the Pidgey you found yesterday woke up not too long ago and she wants to see you." Mark surprised himself at the attachment he suddenly felt towards the bird, and he eagerly followed Joy to yet another section of the Lab that had remained unseen by him until now.

* * *

The room they entered was clearly a sort of medical center, with hospital beds each paired with an array of monitoring equipment lining the wall to the right and various larger pieces of medical technology against the left. Mark's attention was drawn to one of the beds to his right; where the Pidgey he had met yesterday had just jumped onto the rail at the foot of the cot, where she was waving her wings and cooing happily. Mark addressed the Pokemon with a grin: 

"It's good to see you're doing well, too." Mark made a brief gesture to his left shoulder, which Pidgey seemed to instantly pick up on, as she flew towards him and alighted on his shoulder. He lightly scratched at the avian's neck, eliciting a happy chirp, before he turned back to Nurse Joy.

"Well, let's get started with those Pokemon, shall we?" Joy smiled warmly and led him out of the room and toward the hallway Sketchit had taken earlier. After the two people pushed through the large double doors at the end of the hall, Mark and Joy felt the morning sun on their faces as they beheld a large field populated by creatures of various shapes and sizes. Now able to recall the brief period in which he played the Pokemon games himself, Mark was able to recognize some of the forms he was presented with, but several were still a complete mystery to him.

"We usually start with the water Pokemon, so the Professor should be this way." Nurse Joy led Mark in the indicated direction, and he halted his examination of the meadow to follow. After about a minute of walking, a lake came into view; Sketchit was there, and was surrounded by yet more of the strange looking creatures, these seemingly taking the shapes of various sea animals.

"Ah, you're just in time, Nurse Joy. Is Mark going to be helping out as well?" Professor Sketchit's professional voice greeted them, and Mark quickly nodded an affirmative to the question. Sketchit grinned at this, and decided to continue:

"Okay, then. Kingler, come on up." A nearby area of water began to ripple just before making way for an ascending creature. Mark inspected the animal as it scuttled onto land; it was an immense crablike creature whose height came to his waist, not including the pincers, of which the left was noticeably larger than the right. It had a red shell with patches of green in places, and a line of spikes formed a crown on its head. Sketchit's voice broke in once more as Mark's inspection of the Pokemon was just ending:

"This is what you're going to do, Mark," began the Professor. "The green spots on this Kingler's shell are lichen that have stuck to it. Every few days, we scrub his shell to clean them off. I'd appreciate it if you could take care of that for us today." Pidgey left Mark's shoulder to perch on a nearby rock as the man took the offered brush from Professor Sketchit and turned to the newly arrived Pokemon.

Mark lowered himself to the Kingler and immediately began as he was instructed, running the cleaning brush smoothly over the splotches of green continuously until only red showed. After a few moments, Mark caught movement out of the corner of his eye; a large pincer was coming toward him from the right side. A quick glance to the left confirmed that the right pincer was coming toward him as well from the other side.

Mark wasted no time; his right leg rose to his waist, then shot forward, catching the shocked Pokemon in the face and sending it staggering backward. The human pushed off of the creature, dropping into a backwards roll. After gaining some distance from the crab, he launched himself back to his feet in a fighting stance.

"Whoa, hold on!" Mark only movement was a momentary look in the direction of the voice before returning his sight to the threat before him. Sketchit ran up to the man before continuing, "Kingler is just a little affectionate sometimes; he's not going to hurt you."

Mark straightened at this revelation, and looked at Kingler more closely; the crab was now rubbing the spot where he struck it with its smaller pincer while looking up at him with a hurt expression in its humanlike eyes. Mark's face softened, and he bent down to Kingler's level slowly, unsure of how the Pokemon would react to him now; he carefully spoke in an apologetic voice:

"Sorry about that; I'm a little unused to Pokemon, so I misunderstood what you were trying to do. Can you forgive me?" Kingler looked thoughtful for a moment, and then, apparently not one to hold a grudge, wrapped both arms around Mark in a crushing hug. Now that he knew what the Kingler's intentions were, Mark simply let it happen, a slight grin finding its way to his face.

* * *

The rest of Mark's chores were completed without incident; as he had found the Pokemon here were friendly and there was no need to be defensive around them. It was noon by this time, as was evident by the midday sun shining over them. Mark, with Pidgey once again on his shoulder, found his way back to the entrance of the Lab, where Joy was already waiting; Professor Sketchit also appeared after a minute, when he spoke to the young woman: 

"Nurse Joy, you wouldn't mind making lunch again, would you? Profess… I mean, Oak called saying that he had some information for Mark. I'll need to get him started on it." Joy grinned and rolled her eyes at the question, knowing she always made lunch anyway, and nodded an affirmative before walking into the Lab. After Mark let Pidgey fly off of his shoulder and into the Preserve, Sketchit addressed Mark as they entered the Lab as well:

"I'm sure you're going to want to learn about society in this world, so Oak put together some information on that subject for you." About this time, the two had arrived in front of what appeared to be an unused office, bare except for a desk holding a computer near the far right end of the room and a window at the far left side that allowed sunlight to flood in. Sketchit led Mark to the computer and continued:

"Okay, everything's on here; is there anything about the computer that's unfamiliar to you?" Mark inspected the computer, finding few noticeable differences between it and the numerous other computers he had operated in his life. After letting Sketchit know this, the researcher continued, "Well, I'll go see how lunch is coming; I'll bring you some when it's ready."

* * *

As the professor left, Mark began studying the data laid out before him. It seemed that much of society seemed to revolve around these Pokemon, as well as 'Pokemon Trainers', humans who spent their lives partnering up with various Pokemon and battling alongside them against other Pokemon Trainers. Apparently, those in high positions, the ones who made important, wide-affecting decisions, were determined by which trainers commanded the most power. Mark found himself a little unsure of how well civilization would fare with such a system at first; however, the information also told him that Pokemon tended to thrive while under the care of caring, considerate trainers, so those who didn't possess these qualities never went far enough to achieve any positions of real importance. 

As Mark continued on, he found more detailed information on this world's equivalent to a governing body. Each major region in the world had their own 'Pokemon League', which handled all major decisions involving relations with other regions, medical care facilities, use of land, and so forth. They also did everything in their power to protect both the citizens and the environment of their region from whatever may threaten to harm either.

Each town or city large enough had a person who was referred to as a 'Gym Leader'. This person had to be approved by both the town they operated in as well as the Pokemon League. Their job was threefold; the first required them to protect their city from danger, or contacting the Pokemon League for assistance if they are unable to do so by themselves. The second was to represent their respective city in all major decisions made by the Pokemon League. Their last duty was accepting battle challenges from upcoming trainers and providing the worthy ones with a 'Gym Badge'; this was the one trainers often viewed as the most important, as eight Gym Badges were needed in order for a trainer to be accepted in that region's Pokemon League Competition.

Pokemon League Competitions, official tournaments in which Pokemon Trainers would battle against each other, provided the basis for the next few rungs in this food chain. Those trainers powerful enough to rank among the eight best trainers in a Competition became eligible to become a 'League Enforcer' for the Pokemon League hosting said Competition. These League Enforcers receive free housing courtesy of the Pokemon League, as well as a steady flow of spending money; in return, they are required to assist in the Pokemon League's goal of protecting that region's citizens and environment. The winner of a Competition, in addition to this offer, also receives the right to challenge the Elite Four in hopes of becoming the Region Champion.

The Elite Four of any region were, as their title would imply, a group of four of the most powerful trainers that particular region had to offer. These people had the final say in important matters involving the Pokemon League they were part of, and were occasionally called upon to resolve situations requiring greater expertise than an ordinary League Enforcer could provide. In return for providing these services, the Elite Four members are typically provided with luxurious homes and a considerable paycheck.

Any 'Competition Champion' is allowed to officially challenge each member of the Elite Four to Pokemon matches. In doing this, if the challenger successfully defeats each member of the Elite Four in an official Pokemon battle, that trainer becomes recognized as the Region Champion; however, if there is already a Region Champion in place, the newcomer would have to defeat that trainer as well before taking their position. A Region Champion is also provided with his or her own spacious accommodations and substantial cash flow, and is obligated to help with the most dangerous threats that may face the region.

* * *

Mark pondered this information for some time; the Pokemon Trainers were certainly influential here. He continued to a different section of information; this one actually describing the beginnings of a Pokemon Trainer. 

According to the data before him, a person would have to be at least fifteen years of age before becoming eligible to begin an official Pokemon training career. In addition, the would-be trainer would have to take a written exam on the subject of Pokemon and caring for them, proving that the newcomer has at least the basic knowledge he or she would need. With both of these requirements met, the trainer would receive a Pokedex, which served as both a portable encyclopedia on virtually any Pokemon's basic statistics and as the trainer's identification. In addition, a starter Pokemon would be placed in the new trainer's care, as well as five free pokeballs with which to capture new Pokemon.

As Mark perused a few accounts of journeys undertaken by Pokemon Trainers, a strange idea crept into his mind. He dismissed it immediately, considering it to be completely foolish; however, the idea returned, and continued to do so, always bringing with it a new reason for it to be pursued. After a few minutes, Mark recognized that he was only delaying the inevitable; he had conjured up notions like this before, they seemed crazy at first, but they had a way of coming back to him enough that he always ended up pursuing them in the end.

Mark retrieved the dishes that had earlier contained his lunch, though in doing this he realized that he had been so engrossed in his reading that he had failed to notice Professor Sketchit bring his lunch to him and then leave. He left the room, setting off to the kitchen in order to drop off the filthy tableware.

While traveling through the hallways of the Lab, Mark continued to ponder the decision he was making; the more he rationalized it, though, the more sense it seemed to make. After he entered and left the kitchen, Mark heard the telltale tapping sound of a computer keyboard, and he walked in the direction from which the sound was coming. The sound led him to another office, though this one was clearly occupied, with various papers and office tools scattered all over the surface of the desk, a wastebasket filled to overflowing with wadded scraps of paper in the far left corner, and a grey metal file cabinet in the against the wall to his right.

Professor Sketchit was behind the desk, furiously typing at the keyboard, a look of pure concentration etched on his features as he continued at his work. After a moment, the scientist began to slow down until his typing eventually came to a stop. Whatever he was working on seemingly completed, Sketchit leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath. He quickly caught sight of Mark and greeted him:

"Hello, Mark! Have you finished with that information Oak sent?" Mark nodded a confirmation to the question, and, after a brief pause, the researcher leaned forward, seeming to sense that the man before him had something else to say.

"While I was going over everything, I came to a decision. I…" Mark went through his reasoning in his mind; sure, it sounded like it made some sense, but he still couldn't help but shake the feeling that it was crazy. However, he knew that this concept just wouldn't leave him until he at least tried to put it in motion. He took a deep breath:

"I want to become a Pokemon Trainer."


	3. When Do I Start?

Chapter three posted, where I get to start implementing what is currently my favorite part of writing** - **action scenes. Not any particularly epic ones just yet, but they do get better as the story goes on, if I do say so myself.

Once again, I appreciate the review, Galbinus. I'll admit that I actually wasn't very creative with Mark's character, as I took the lazy way out and based him mostly off of myself. As for writing things that are more strictly canon, I haven't followed actual canon very closely; most of what I know about characters from the show or the latest couple of Pokemon generations have come from wikipedia or serebii. Pairings would be even tougher, as I'm not even sure how to begin writing romance-type stuff, though I might try it sometime later on in this story.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 3: When Do I Start?**

In a spacious and well-equipped work area in a large Laboratory, three pairs of eyes looked into a fourth. The first three quietly contained emotions of surprise, doubt, and concern. The last held some doubt, but that doubt was diminishing rapidly, and was quickly being overwhelmed by a growing determination. The man behind the fourth pair of eyes again drifted to thoughts of how this scene came to happen.

After Mark told Sketchit about his decision to become a Pokemon Trainer, the researcher initially displayed no emotion; instead, he told Mark that he would call Oak so Mark could inform him, along with Joy, as well. Upon the older man's arrival, they all met in their present location, where Mark proceeded to tell them of his sudden decision. This brought him back to the present time.

"Mark, are you sure about this? You've only been here for one day, after all." Mark smiled at Oak's response, the same argument having dominated his own thoughts for the better part of the previous hour. His reply came quickly, in a voice that continued to gain confidence.

"I don't plan on actually leaving for awhile; I'm aware that I still don't know much about Pokemon, but I plan on taking time to change that. I'm sure you're also wondering how I could come to this decision after so little time in this world, but, after going over the facts, this is the only real course of action to take."

The trio he was addressing was dumbfounded at this, and Oak just barely managed to work out a request for Mark to explain. The man smiled, pleased at the opportunity to get his reasoning into the open, and continued:

"If I stay here, I won't be doing anything to help my situation; I'll be simply sitting around, hoping that one of those groups of scientists out there will actually manage to find a way to get me home before I die of old age. I've read the Trainer's accounts in your information, Oak; they come across things on their journeys that few other people ever see. I may very well come across something or someone that could get me home much sooner if I go on a journey of my own."

"Then, there's the question of what I'm doing here in the first place; Oak, Sketchit, if your theory is true and a Pokemon did really bring me here, there has to have been some sort of reason for it. Pokemon Trainers are among the most influential people in this world; becoming one will be my best chance of finding out what that reason is."

"Finally, I… never had a chance to really help people back in my world; sure, I've done little things to assist people around me, but that just didn't feel like enough. I've always admired the people who would put their own lives on the line in order to save others. Now that I'm in this place, I can start out fresh, and I may get the chance to do things like that myself if I go out into the world."

First Oak, then Joy, and finally Sketchit lost the surprise and doubt in their faces, and, though they still appeared concerned, they also donned looks of approval. Oak strode forward, and put his hand on Mark's shoulder. Nurse Joy and Professor Sketchit stepped forward as well when Oak spoke with a grin:

"Well, far be it from us to try and stop you, Mark. We'll help with your preparations as much as we can." Mark's reply was a confident grin, followed by a brief nod of acknowledgment.

* * *

As Mark thought back, the past month seemed to have come and gone rather quickly. All in all, the daunting task of familiarizing himself with a world greatly different than what he spent twenty years getting used to wasn't actually as hard as he had imagined it would be. As Mark reminisced, he decided that those he had found himself living with were the inspiration that made the ease of the transition possible. 

Sketchit continued to have Mark assist him in caring for the Pokemon in the Preserve. He washed thick fur coats and rough, scaly skin and he cleaned hardened carapaces; he polished sharp horns, claws, and fangs. Though there were numerous types of Pokemon Mark had yet to encounter even after his work with Sketchit, he learned what he needed to keep the body of nearly any Pokemon he may capture in proper shape.

Joy also chose to help Mark prepare, showing him a few areas of her medical training that would be the most useful to him. The soon-to-be trainer learned about how to treat most injuries a Pokemon would receive in battle, as well as how to effectively operate the Potion and Antidote Sprayers that were in common use. Mark also learned about the various natures of Pokemon; he discovered that the different types of Pokemon had just as many different needs, such as the desire for most water types to get a chance to swim as often as possible or the need for most grass types to be around sunlight and clean soil whenever they could. Allowing the Pokemon to indulge in these, Mark found, was essential in keeping them happy and healthy.

Oak, apparently having been an experienced trainer in his younger days, took it upon himself to teach Mark the nuances of Pokemon battling. Despite having already learned about type advantages and disadvantages from his own experiences, Mark took in everything he was shown, not willing to take the chance that the game world he had experienced and its real-life counterpart did not work quite the same. Oak showed the younger man everything he could, from the basic rules dictating Pokemon battles, to information regarding some of the most famous trainers and Pokemon battles in history.

* * *

Mark, for his part, decided that to be a strong Pokemon trainer, having a strong body himself would be a necessity. None of the available humans around having much in the way of fighting skills, Mark turned to the local Pokemon instead. Fortunately, one among them presented itself that had the abilities he was looking for; it had a spherical, furry body from which a pig like snout and ears protruded, as well as muscular arms and legs. The Primeape's coat of fur was slightly thinner than the image he had seen of this Pokemon in its prime, indicating he was on the older side. However, if this Pokemon did practice martial arts as adamantly as the information on his species indicated, he wasn't going to let a little thing like age slow him. 

His guess proved accurate when he first made his request of the fighting-type Pokemon. Soon after the request was agreed to, man and Pokemon stood a small distance apart in their respective fighting stances. A shared glance signaled the start, and the ape-like Pokemon leapt forward, left fist preparing to shoot forward.

Mark slid to the right, and his left arm came up to deflect the punch away from him before bringing his right leg up and around in a roundhouse kick. The Primeape shot back to avoid the attack, then came forward once more, right leg coming up to what could be considered a waist before launching itself forward. The human stepped to the left side of the attack before coming toward the fighting-type again, his right fist coming forward to lead the charge. This attack landed, imbedding itself into the Pokemon's gut.

Primeape clenched his teeth in acknowledgment of the pain, then dropped his airborne leg back into the ground behind him and twisted his body rightward, letting his left fist crash into Mark's back, between his shoulder blades. The man was sent hurtling to the ground and fell into a roll upon his arrival, traveling several feet before managing to force himself to a stop. Mark came back to his feet, and man and Pokemon rushed forward to clash once more.

After several minutes of this, the two combatants stopped, having grown both tired and bruised, and slumped to the ground in a sitting position. After catching their breath and sharing a grin that showed their mutual acceptance of the draw, Mark agonizingly pulled himself to his feet, and trudged back to the Lab. These fights occurred daily from that day on, with neither side ever completely giving in to the other.

Mark also spent a good deal of time with Pidgey, and the flying-type Pokemon did what she could to help the trainer-to-be as well. At the man's request, she would dive at him as quickly as she could, so he could practice dodging her attacks. However, Mark quickly proved to be capable of dodging the small bird with little difficulty, and Pidgey visibly put all the effort she could muster into making herself faster and more maneuverable in an attempt to make herself into the challenge that Mark had wanted.

It took somewhere around two weeks, but the results of the feathered Pokemon's efforts were easily noticeable. Her Quick Attacks became faster by the day, and Mark found himself having to concentrate more and more in order to keep up. One day, Mark was just a little too slow, and the Pokemon barreled into his stomach, driving him to the ground. Pidgey quickly dropped down, coming to a landing on the man's chest, and looking into his face with concern. Mark issued a pained, yet approving, grin, and he reached up to lightly scratch the bird's neck as he coughed out a faint laugh.

* * *

One month after declaring his intent to become a Pokemon Trainer, Mark walked down the stairs from his room, on his way to do just that. Black tennis shoes led his blue jean-covered legs down his path, and a dark blue sleeveless shirt enshrouded his upper torso. His right arm curled up to grasp one of the straps that held his black backpack to his body, and his left hand was buried in his pocket. 

As he walked out the front door, he was met by four approving faces, three human and one Pokemon. He turned to Sketchit, who gave him five empty pokeballs, each with a clip that allowed Mark to attach them to his belt. After doing just that, he directed his gaze to Oak, who was holding out three pokeballs.

"Well, here are the three starter Pokemon that are provided to new trainers. Feel free to take your time in making your decision." The man looked at each of the three spheres, already having made sure he knew as much as he could about what was contained within each. Within one was Charmander, the fire breathing lizard, inside another lay Squirtle, the water-type turtle, and Bulbasaur, the animal and plant hybrid, rested inside the third. However, Mark had already made his decision.

"I appreciate this, Oak," Mark started, "but I've already got a partner. That is, if she thinks she can stand me." The last statement having been directed at the non-human member of his audience, Pidgey quickly understood his meaning and flew to his shoulder, letting out a loud, happy trill. Oak stepped toward Mark, his face beaming as he held out a different pokeball.

"I had a feeling you would say something like that, so I already took the liberty of having another empty pokeball handy so you could make it official." Mark grinned at the older man as he retrieved the sphere. He turned toward the bird on his shoulder and, after a short coo that indicated Pidgey was ready for what he was going to do, tapped the ball against the Pokemon's wing.

The sphere opened itself where the red and white halves met, and the feathered Pokemon's form dissolved into a red light that launched itself into the opening. The ball quickly closed itself once more, this time with the button on the face of the ball flashing a red light. The ball lightly vibrated once, twice, three times, before the red light dimmed and the ball lay still once more.

The new trainer minimized the ball and returned it to his belt before turning to his benefactors once more. He respectfully shook the hands of Oak and Sketchit, and returned the crushing hug Joy threw at him. After a heartfelt thanks and a fond farewell, Mark set off, making his way north toward Viridian City.

* * *

Mark walked down the dirt path set before him, going over in his mind the details of what was ahead of him. From what he had seen, the trip between Pallet Town and Viridian City would take about two hours at walking speed. The man grinned to himself; back where he was from, spending that much time traveling anywhere always felt like too long. Oak had told him that, while on a Pokemon journey, the time spent on the road can be just as important as the time spent at any one destination; it seemed he would have to get used to that. 

The new trainer looked from side to side, spotting the occasional Rattata or Pidgey that just barely missed escaping his notice. Mark ignored the tiny creatures, already deciding that he wouldn't bother capturing just any Pokemon that came his way. If he was going to stay in this world, he wasn't going to do the Pokemon Trainer bit halfway, and he would only bother training Pokemon that were willing to take the challenge of ascending the ranks as high as he planned to go.

A new rustle caught his attention, having been caused by a greater sized being than any of the Pokemon he had noticed up until now. His walking slowed slightly as his gaze fixed on the bushes. The rustling returned for a moment before a figure leapt out of the leaves, the movement prompting Mark to drop into a crouch, left hand held in front of him in a protective position as his right went down to hover at his side, near his belt.

The newcomer was a human, dressed in black pants and a black shirt, with a black hat casting a shadow over his face. His clothing was tattered and filthy, and the shirt bore a large, red 'R' on the front. The man spoke, his works coming in a harsh, shady voice:

"Hold it! Now hand over your Pokemon, in the name of Team Rocket!" Mark stared incredulously for a moment, and, after a moment, burst into mocking laughter. Catching his breath after a few moments, the trainer snickered at the dark clothed man.

"Heh heh, sorry to break it to you, buddy, but that sorry band of Pokemon thieves disbanded years ago. They never even managed to pull off anything significant while they were around; heck, the only reason I heard of you guys at all was because the current Regional Champion of Kanto is known for fighting against Team Rocket on numerous occasions." The thoroughly insulted criminal grew indignant, and shouted his response.

"Well, Team Rocket is going to come back, starting with me! Go Ekans!" His last words were punctuated by the pokeball he hurled at the ground between the two men. The sphere burst open upon contact, releasing a red light that formed into a long, purple snake with a yellow underbelly; the creature let out a long hiss before facing Mark.

"So, that's the way you want to play it, eh?" Mark lifted the one occupied pokeball from his belt and brought it up. Despite his confident outburst, Mark was concerned; Pidgey were naturally prey to Ekans and were terrified of them by nature. Deciding to take a chance, the new trainer pressed the button on his own pokeball, allowing the red light inside to burst forth and condense into the familiar feathered form of Pidgey. Mark whispered his concern to his partner:

"Pidgey, can you take him?" The Pidgey, though appearing slightly unnerved, turned toward him with a short glance accompanied by a confident chirp before turning toward her opponent. The unnamed Team Rocket member let out a loud laugh before speaking.

"Ha! You're setting a Pidgey against an Ekans? Here I thought no one would be dumb enough to try that; Ekans, use Bite!" The snake shot forward at its trainer's command, baring its fangs in anticipation of sinking them into the bird. Mark, despite not having commanded a Pokemon in battle before, felt he knew what the flying type needed to hear.

"Pidgey, just avoid and counter, exactly like we've practiced before." The bird gave a short trill, indicated she understood his message, and flew in place, waiting for the snakelike Pokemon to come to her. Its arrival came within moments, and it reared its head back for a moment before thrusting its jaws at its supposed prey. Pidgey, however, dropped down and backwards, well away from the poisonous fangs before launching herself forward with her wings spread, the Wing Attack catching the Ekans in its underbelly, its own forward movement serving to increase the impact of the bird's attack.

The snake's upper half fell, and Pidgey flew back up at Mark's command, gaining distance from the poison-type to avoid any possible sneak attacks from it. Mark's shocked opponent took a moment to regain his composure before he commanded his Pokemon once more:

"Ekans, get up and take that puny thing out with a Poison Sting!" The downed creature took only moments to comply, raising its head from the ground to launch a barrage of white needles from its mouth in the direction of the airborne Pokemon.

"Pidgey, show him your diving Quick Attack." The addressed creature took to the command instantly, gaining altitude to avoid the projectiles of her opponent's attack before folding her wings back and firing herself earthward at dizzying speeds. During this time, Mark himself leapt forward, quickly making his way around the battle before moving towards the human in front of him. The Pokemon thief was taken aback at the action, clearly never having expected an attack on his person.

Pidgey hammered into the Ekans with a crushing impact just as Mark's fist forced its way into the wannabe Team Rocket member's stomach. The human dropped to the ground just as his Pokemon did the same. Mark's eyes were quickly drawn to his own Pokemon, who began to glow brightly.

The glow that was once Pidgey shifted and expanded, forming itself into a shape entirely different from what it started with. After several moments, the glow dimmed, giving way to a different form. In many ways, she was still similar to the Pidgey she once was, but she now sported a crown of red feathers that draped over her back, rather than the eyebrow-like markings she once possessed. In addition, her tail feathers, once brown, were now striped with bright red and yellow. Mark now stood before a Pidgeotto.

"Pidgey… Pidgeotto, thank you; I know facing down one of your natural predators couldn't have been easy." The bird gave a happy trill, dismissing the statement, and indicating that the fight was easy with Mark alongside her. The trainer looked down at the fallen would-be thief, his rasping breathing and low grunts of pain indicating that he was still conscious.

Mark hooked his foot underneath the man and lifted, rolling him onto his back. He leaned down toward the black-clad man's face, a harsh glint in his eyes.

"Okay, you have really annoyed me today; you had seriously better hope that we never meet again." With that said, Mark's foot rose, and then crashed down into the man's already bruised midsection. The struck man's body folded into the attack, and his eyes rolled back into his head as the triumphant trainer stepped over him.

Man and Pokemon continued on the path before them, Pidgeotto now flying evenly at about shoulder level, as her new size prevented her from riding on her usual perch. Mark's arm rose to give a dismissive wave to his enemy as he confidently strode away.

"Bye!"


	4. What Am I Doing?

Chapter 4 is now up. I will say right now that this is not one of my better chapters; I just wasn't 100 with the premise, but I felt something like this had to happen at some point and I couldn't think of anything else to put in this chapter.

As for the previous chapter, yeah, I know Pidgey's evolution was quick. However, I felt that was really the only good spot in the storyline for that evolution to happen in. If it makes it any easier, that is the only time a Pokemon will evolve so soon in the storyline.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 4: What Am I Doing?**

At the end of a particular dirt road, a small yet bustling city gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. A pair of eyes gazed from a hilltop overlooking this city, and quietly examined the busy metropolis from his bird's eye view. The man behind these eyes grinned at what he saw, and started forward once more.

Mark was both pleased and disappointed with the lack of interruption in his journey after his brief encounter with the Pokemon thief. The part of him that was still used to how he went about his actions in his own world appreciated how little time was taken traveling between Pallet and Viridian. On the other hand, the trainer he was starting to become had desired more experience in actual Pokemon battling before arriving in a major city.

As the trainer reached the city limits, his thoughts shifted to what he should attempt to accomplish here. By consulting a guide to the Kanto region Oak had provided, Mark had already found that the Pokemon Gym in this city was out of the question for now, the leader here being ranked far too high for a new trainer to even have a chance in a Pokemon battle. As he continued through the streets, he started to make his way to the Pokemon Center, having decided that he should make sure Pidgeotto received a thorough medical examination before anything else.

As Mark walked through Viridian City, he glanced from one area to another, examining everything. The buildings, the streets, the houses, all had few differences with those he constantly saw in his own world. However, upon looking at those who were walking the streets, it was evident that he wasn't home any longer. The people looked no different, but the Pokemon greatly stood out to the man.

Beings that were clearly neither human nor animal dotted the city, walking alongside humans and helping with normal day-to-day tasks. Many of the Pokemon's forms were unfamiliar and exceptionally strange compared to those he had encountered up to that point. Fortunately, Mark had spent a month growing accustomed to the unusual, and continued on his way without incident.

* * *

After several minutes of searching, the large, bright building with the pokeball-shaped sign came within view, and Mark made his way towards it. The twin glass doors in the front slid open on the trainer's approach, and the man strolled into a large, well-kept room. The area to his immediate right seemed to be a waiting area, with a number of light blue couches surrounding a large, wooden table stacked with a number of Pokemon-related magazines. To his left was a staircase leading to an upper floor, and the area in front of him was dominated by a large reception counter at which a woman and a Pokemon were stationed, who both came to attention at his entrance.

The woman was… Nurse Joy? Mark blinked, wondering how Joy made it to Viridian City before him, not to mention what she was doing here in the first place. After a moment, he recalled something Joy had told him during the past month; it having been something about her relatives running most of the Pokemon Centers in the world. The man shook his head in disbelief; he had known identical twins that were easier to tell apart than this. It seemed that the Pokemon weren't the only oddities in this world.

As Mark strode up to the desk, he took a quick glance at his Pokedex to identify the pink, egg-shaped Pokemon standing alongside the nurse. The entry that appeared on the dark blue device's screen identified the creature as a Chansey; it also clarified that they were found in most Pokemon Centers working with the resident Nurse Joy. As Mark reached the counter, he lifted the only occupied pokeball from his belt and placed it in front of the patiently waiting nurse.

"I'd like for you to check Pidgeotto for me. She was just in a battle that caused her to evolve." The trainer's request came simply, and he waited just long enough for Nurse Joy to explain that she should be done with the assessment within a half hour before he gave a nod of appreciation and left the Center.

* * *

As Mark departed from the Pokemon Center, he decided to travel in a new direction. As he had nothing to accomplish here, he didn't feel like staying long, and had decided to leave the next morning. As a result, he determined that he might as well see as much of the city as possible before he left. After several minutes of nothing noteworthy, a building came within view that caught his interest.

It was large, much bigger than any of the buildings he had seen in this city so far, with a stadium-like structure. It also had a large, three dimensional image of a Charizard struggling against an unidentifiable rock-like pokemon mounted high on the stone outer wall, directly over the words 'Pokemon Arena', which were printed in red letters. Apparently, this building was used to allow trainers an ideal place to battle their Pokemon.

Intrigued by the possibility of seeing the strategies employed by other trainers, Mark quickly walked inside. Upon entering the building, the trainer found himself in a spacious lobby; at the far end of the room was a desk, behind which a single man sat. The apparent employee of this stadium appeared bored, leaning back in his chair and seemingly attempting to count imaginary objects on the ceiling. Upon hearing Mark's entrance, he slowly straightened himself in his seat and glanced at a clipboard while addressing the newcomer.

"Welcome to Viridian City's Pokemon Arena. Do you have a battle scheduled today?" The welcome was spoken in an automatic tone, making it clear that the cheer in his voice was heavily forced. Mark shook his head as he made his request to watch one of the battles already taking place. The receptionist pointed down the corridor to Mark's left as he answered in the same practiced tone.

"Of course, all of the battles at the moment are in this half of the stadium; the doors with lights blinking over them are rooms in which a battle is currently in progress." Mark quickly thanked the man and started off in the indicated direction. He almost immediately came across a door that was signaling that a Pokemon battle was taking place on the other side of it, and Mark quietly stepped through.

* * *

He found himself in another large room, and discovered that he was separated from what appeared to be a rocky field by a transparent barrier made of an unfamiliar material. On the field itself, two young men faced each other down intensely from opposite ends of the expanse. They stood behind what Mark could only assume were their respective Pokemon, who were already crouched, sharing their trainer's fierce gazes and ready to attack at any moment.

Before the trainer on Mark's right was a large, purple creature that stood on its hind legs. Spikes ran from the top of its head down to its powerful looking tail; the Pokedex described it as a Nidoking. On the other end of the field, a man-sized, doglike Pokemon stood in front of its own trainer. The beast that the Pokedex identified as an Arcanine was covered in a coat of deep orange which was striped with black. A mane of tan fur surrounded its head, while its tail was thick and made up of coarse fur of the same color.

A loud buzzer sounded from somewhere above, apparently signaling the beginning of the battle. Both trainers wasted no time in getting started, the man on the left calling for a Flame Wheel attack while the other commanded his Pokemon to perform a Take Down. Their Pokemon were equally eager, both leaping forward to follow their orders without hesitation. After a short but furious lunge, the powerhouses collided in the center of the field, Arcanine jumping into the attack headfirst, surrounded by dancing flames, and Nidoking crouching forward, his right shoulder leading the charge. The impact resounded throughout the field, rattling the barrier before Mark and forcing the two competing trainers to brace themselves to stay upright.

The two battlers quickly broke apart with a simultaneous grunt as new sets of commands were issued to them. Nidoking threw himself forward, his horn in front, which was then glowing with a greenish color; Arcanine flung his own body to his left as the Megahorn attack crashed into the ground and responded with a growl, accompanied by a powerful stream of flame bursting from his maw. Nidoking was forced back, taking the Flamethrower to his right side.

As the fiery assault broke, the now enraged Pokemon started forward with a bellowing roar and struck the fire-type with his left fist. The attacking hand was glowing with a sickly purple color, indicating he was using the Poison Jab attack his trainer had just called for. The Arcanine was thrown back by the blow, and he went into a short roll upon contact with the ground before returning to his feet.

The doglike Pokemon's trainer called out for a Fire Spin, which was responded to with a burst of flames from his battler's mouth, which formed itself into a spiral that quickly made its way to his opponent. Nidoking charged forward at his own trainer's command, his horn glowing a green color once more. As the purple beast reached the twisting inferno flying towards him, his Megahorn attack swung up and around, slicing through the blaze, causing it to scatter and fade.

* * *

As Mark watched this contest of power unfold, he began to find himself overwhelmed by the enormity of what he had chosen to take on, now fully understanding the obstacles that stood between himself and his ambitions. As his line of thought went down this path, he soon found himself questioning whether he could ever match the power commanded by the two younger trainers before him. His mind conjured up only answers that he didn't want to hear.

Mark grudgingly accepted that he never belonged in this place, and could never hope to match those who spent their lives understanding the lessons he spent a mere month only scratching the surface of. He let himself fall backwards, slumping against the wall behind him as the two combating Pokemon continued to lash at each other with increasingly powerful attacks. Dejected, the trainer wandered out the door as a stream of intense flames shaped into a star met with a beam of bright orange energy, resulting in an explosion that rocked the arena. He heard a short exclamation of triumph, though he wasn't certain which trainer the voice belonged to.

The disheartened man trudged through the seemingly longer streets of Viridian City, making his way back to the Pokemon Center. Though he paid little attention to where he walked, he still managed to find his way to the large building, even the pokeball-shaped sign seeming to mock him now. Mark sluggishly stepped through the glass doors and found Nurse Joy and Chansey happily welcoming him back. After he gave a brief nod to acknowledge the pair, he made his way to the counter. Joy held up Pidgeotto's pokeball and glanced at it while delivering her diagnosis.

"Well, we've gone over Pidgeotto, and there isn't anything wrong with her. As a matter of fact, this is one of the most well trained Pidgeotto I've ever seen; I actually had a hard time believing that she just recently evolved." Mark allowed himself a faint smile on his partner's behalf, and replied:

"Thanks, but I… I didn't have much to do with how well off she is now, to be honest." Joy's features formed into a puzzled expression at his self-demeaning tone as she answered him back in a warm voice.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that; this Pidgeotto seems to care about you a lot. I wouldn't be at all surprised if all the training she's done was for you." The nurse suddenly looked from Mark's face, to the pokeball still in her hand, to Mark again, and she quickly took on an expression of understanding, "You're Mark Rowley, aren't you?" Joy began to explain when Mark's features shifted to surprise.

"I've been talking with my cousin over in Pallet Town recently, and she's talked about what you've been going through. She says that you've been training constantly, like you have something to prove, and thought that you would end up like this sooner or later." At Mark's confused look, Joy laughed and continued.

"Come on, you know what I mean! You look like you have to fight a Machamp with both arms tied behind your back! You have to understand, trainers never start off powerful; it takes a good deal of experience as well as training, and it's going to be the same for you. Of course, if this Pidgeotto's condition is any indication, I think you're going to do just fine here." A smile slowly returned to Mark's face as he began to speak; it was weak, but sincere.

"Thanks, I guess I needed that. I'll be back to get a room to stay the night in after a walk to clear my head." Joy handed over the pokeball with a grin, and Mark walked back into the streets.

* * *

Mark wandered along, feeling only slightly better after Nurse Joy's advice, and still wondering if he really could go as far in the Pokemon League as he hoped. He abruptly stopped when he came across what appeared to be a park, considering it was a large, grassy area spotted with small clusters of trees. As he began examining the area, the man noticed several other trainers with their Pokemon, practicing various attacks together and going through several exercises.

Mark briefly glanced at each of the trainers and their partners, immediately knowing that the pokemon these people commanded were well trained. He continued on along the park's boundary, seeing still more trainers along the way, until he came across one who looked back at him with what seemed to be recognition. The young man confirmed this when he gave a shout:

"Hey, you!" Mark unsurely pointed to himself, the gesture silently asking whether he was the one being addressed, and the trainer continued, "Yeah, I'm talking to you. The name's Jason; I remember you from when I was in Pallet Town not too long ago. Since you seem to be a Pokemon Trainer now, are you up for a battle?" Despite his current state of gloom, Mark had never been one to back down without good reason, and he made his way to where the boy was, accepting the challenge.

"Alright, let's make this a standard three-on-three match, okay?" The young man's speech was interrupted by a hesitant reply from Mark.

"Actually, I only have one Pokemon at the moment; I'm afraid this will have to be a one-on-one instead." Jason's features twisted into a sour look as he gave out a humorless chuckle.

"You haven't caught any Pokemon yet? Shame, I was hoping you might have been a trainer worth my time. Oh well, go Squirtle!" The younger man's last words were punctuated by removing one of the pokeballs from his belt and tossing it to the ground before him. The red light that came forth quickly condensed into the easily recognizable form of a Squirtle, who let out a short, gurgling sound as he began to stare down Mark. Mark recognized his challenger now, having seen him receive this very Pokemon from Professor Sketchit a few days ago.

Not feeling up to defending his decisions at the moment, Mark simply brought his own pokeball from where it rested on his belt and pressed the button on its face, releasing its own shimmering red light. The light quickly dimmed to reveal Pidgeotto, who announced her presence with a series of chirps. The feathered Pokemon glanced back at her trainer, noting his unusually hesitant posture with concern before turning back to the Squirtle crouched in front of her.

"I'll start this off; Squirtle, Water Gun!" The mentioned Pokemon responded quickly, as a powerful burst of water shot from the turtle-like Pokemon's mouth at the large bird. Pidgeotto rose briefly to avoid the attack as Mark finally issued his own order.

"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack, but avoid staying in a straight line." The flying-type wasted no time in spreading her wings back as she began to dive toward the earth. Jason shouted out again in response.

"Use your Water Gun again, Squirtle! Knock it out of the sky!" More pressurized streams of water were issued from the water-type in an attempt to halt Pidgeotto's progress, but the feathered Pokemon continuously weaved from one side to another, causing the projectiles to pass harmlessly by. Quickly realizing that his opponent's Pokemon wouldn't be stopped this way, Jason changed tactics.

"Squirtle, Withdraw!" The addressed Pokemon immediately followed his trainer's confident order, and drew his head and all of his limbs into his shell just as the large bird hammered into him. The shell flew backwards, bouncing several times before coming to a stop. Only a moment passed before Squirtle emerged from his haven, slightly disoriented, but otherwise unharmed.

Mark hung his head in despair, knowing that his own Pokemon wasn't nearly strong enough to breach a defense as solid as what this Squirtle displayed. Just as the trainer began to give in, a loud chirp broke his thoughts; he looked in the direction of the sound, finding Pidgeotto trilling her encouragement to him. He gave a weak grin to his companion, and frantically racked his brain searching for an answer to the dilemma. Suddenly struck by inspiration, the man spoke once more.

"Pidgeotto, let's see another Quick Attack." The feathered Pokemon didn't hesitate for a moment, and quickly launched herself at her opponent. The other trainer smirked, calling to Squirtle to Withdraw once more, and the turtle quickly complied as its form retreated into its shell. As the bird closed in, Mark's grin grew wider as he issued a new command:

"Pidgeotto, grab the shell and carry it into the air!" The flying type complied, and her opponent soon found himself airborne, held up by the holes his arms usually occupied. As the two Pokemon climbed higher into the air, Mark's grin evolved into a smirk, and he revealed the final stage of his plan with a newfound confidence.

"Now dive back down and let go of the shell just before you reach the ground!" Back in his own world, Mark had once heard of birds that would pick up shellfish and hurl them into jagged rocks in order to break through the shells and get at the animal inside. Since this battle was taking place over a grassy field rather than a group of sharp rocks, he knew this attack wouldn't have nearly as dramatic an effect on the Squirtle, but he was hopeful that the impact should still damage the water type, even through his shell. As the pair hurtled downwards, Jason quickly grasped Mark's intent, and frantically called for a Water Gun pointed at the ground in a last ditch effort to slow his Pokemon's landing.

The turtle was not as quick, however, and the ground rushed up to meet him just as he prepared to follow his trainer's orders. A loud crash and a rising cloud of dust drew the attention of everyone nearby who wasn't already watching the battle. As the sandy cloud dissipated, the revealed Squirtle was face down, and sprawled unconscious on the ground as Pidgeotto hovered triumphantly over him. The losing trainer quickly recalled his downed Pokemon, made his way towards Mark, and spoke in an apologetic voice.

"Well, I guess you won; it seems you're better than I thought." After Mark gave his thanks for the compliment, the other trainer continued, "Well, I hope we get a chance to battle again." As Jason turned back towards the park, Mark went back on his own way, Pidgeotto now at his side, and ready to continue on his way to the top.

* * *

As Mark entered the Pokemon Center, he quickly postponed his plans to secure a room for the night when he noticed a woman speaking with Nurse Joy. The unfamiliar female wore a police officer's attire and had green hair flowing from underneath her cap. The two had serious looks on their faces, and Mark, noting that they were making no effort to hide their conversation, decided to listen as well. The policewoman was speaking by the time he began eavesdropping.

"No one is sure what it is just yet, but it's been attacking wild Pokemon in Viridian Forest. It doesn't seem to be attacking any humans going through the area, though." Nurse Joy's voice held a deeply concerned tone as she voiced her own thoughts.

"Are the Pokemon alright? Have they been able to recover?" The officer nodded with a weak smile as she answered.

"Yes, they're all fine. Fortunately, it hasn't caused any serious injuries to its victims; so far, it has never gone farther than knocking them out."

Mark tuned out of the discussion and mulled over this new information for a few moments. It seemed there was a Pokemon stalking Viridian Forest that had some noteworthy fighting skills. A smirk formed on Mark's face as a single word came out.

"Interesting..."


	5. Is This How It's Done?

Well, here's Chapter five.

I really need to get to actually writing the story again; I haven't finished a new chapter since I started posting it here.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 5: Is This How It's Done?**

The sun shone over a thick forest's canopy, casting splotchy shadows onto the earth beneath. A pair of hazel eyes stared intently into the wooded expanse, narrowed as if attempting to peer farther into the forest than the clusters of thick tree trunks would allow. A large bird hovered in the air a few feet to his right, waiting for the man behind those eyes to move forward.

When Mark had received permission from Joy to stay in the Pokemon Center for the night, the two had started up a brief conversation, during which the subject of the trainer's plans arose. As Mark revealed he intended to traverse Viridian Forest in order to reach Pewter City, a worried look spread across the nurse's face. Despite already knowing what was bothering the pink-haired woman from listening to her earlier conversation, Mark remained silent and let her voice her concerns.

"You might not want to go that way." She began, "There have been reports of a wild Pokemon in that forest that has been attacking other Pokemon in the area. It doesn't seem to be going after humans at the moment, but I don't think you should take any chances." A look of surprise crossed Joy's face as Mark began to smirk.

"Well, now you've gone and made me want to go that way even more. I just can't resist seeing a Pokemon that can cause that kind of trouble." The nurse grew mortified at this, and countered with a shocked reply.

"You can't be serious!" However, the man's stern face said everything, and, after a moment, Joy relented with a sigh, then continued in a frustrated tone. "Well, I can't really do anything to stop you, but please, reconsider." Mark sighed as his face softened, and he gave a gentle response.

"I'm a Pokemon Trainer, remember? I'm going to have to battle strong opponents if I'm going to get any experience, and this mystery Pokemon of yours seems to be just what I need. If it makes any difference, I will be careful, but I am going through Viridian Forest either way." Joy hesitantly nodded, and Mark gave out a quick goodnight as he walked away toward his assigned room.

* * *

Mark abruptly broke out of his flashback, and turned toward Pidgeotto with a wide grin. As the flying-type caught his confident glance, she gave out a happy trill, and the two started off, side by side, into the vast woods. 

The trainer and his Pokemon both moved cautiously, keeping a careful watch for anything threatening. Mark knew that Viridian Forest was large, and there was no way of knowing where the dangerous Pokemon he heard about was, but he was determined to discover it before he left this place. Pidgeotto seemed to sense how important finding the Pokemon was to her trainer, and her sharp avian eyes also maintained a constant watch for anything out of place.

As the trek went on, however, nothing extraordinary revealed itself. A caterpillarlike Weedle slowly made its way along an overhanging limb, a group of green, cocoonlike Metapod hung suspended from a group of branches a few feet to his left, and a Spinarrak quickly crawled up a tree trunk somewhere to the right. All, however, were quite common in Viridian Forest, and none displayed the aggressiveness that the Pokemon Mark was searching for would be sure to have.

With the sun obscured by the thick foliage, Mark had to rely on his Pokedex to determine when the day reached noon. With his focus on both making his way through the Forest and finding the mystery Pokemon, he had completely failed to notice his growing hunger and fatigue, but with the brief distraction of checking the time, they began to make themselves known in force. Noting that Pidgeotto was in a similarly tired state, he quickly opted to take a break and carefully sat down on a sturdy log, his feathered companion softly alighting on a spot to his right.

As the two slowly ate lunch, Mark's mind wandered once more. He had noticed that the woods became far thicker beyond that point, and realized that Pidgeotto would have little open space in which to stay aloft; he would most likely have to recall her to her pokeball to avoid difficulty. Without a second pair of eyes to help him, though, it would be much harder to spot his target if he happened to come by it. He dismissed the thought, immediately realizing there was little that could be done about it.

After several minutes, the pair lifted themselves back up, feeling fully revitalized for their journey. Mark turned to Pidgeotto, explaining the conclusion he had come to, and recalled the birdlike Pokemon to the stasis of her pokeball. The trainer gently returned the sphere to his belt, and continued down the increasingly narrow path winding around the thick trunks.

* * *

For nearly an hour, Mark continued on, still finding no Pokemon that caught his interest. His increasing boredom, however, was soon broken by the sounds of hurried movement in various places in the leaves to the left ahead of him. The trainer turned and faced down the disturbance with a growing excitement until the sources finally revealed themselves. 

A small flock of Pidgey burst from the leaves above him, speeding across the path ahead of the trainer to the trees on his right. On the ground, a small Caterpie made its way out of the bushes and moved down the road in the direction from which Mark had come. The man then noticed a movement behind him out of the corner of his eye; as he turned to get a better view, he found it was a Spinarak leaping out of the trees to skitter across the path to the bushes on the other side.

Mark watched this behavior with curiosity, as a new sound faintly reached him. He paused, knowing that he had not yet heard a harsh, buzzing sound like this in this forest. He listened more closely, now hearing more buzzing noises; they carried a similar threatening tone, but were clearly different enough that they didn't come from the same being that gave the original noise.

The man quickly determined that something was going on in the direction the sounds were coming from that was frightening to the weaker native Pokemon, and went off of the path to his left, hastily making his way through the forest. His arms quickly positioned themselves in front of his head, redirecting the branches in his path away from his face. He soon began to faintly regret his preference of sleeveless shirts as his arms soon became crisscrossed with long scratches where the thin, sharper sticks in the limbs barely failed in breaking the skin.

As Mark grew closer to the source of the sounds, they came in angrier and angrier tones, clearly signaling a fight in the making. Within moments, the trees gave way to a large clearing, and the trainer stopped just outside it, watching the events taking place. Instantly, Mark knew he found what he was looking for.

In the center of the clearing stood a green, insectoid Pokemon that stood about as high as Mark's shoulder. Numerous scars marked his head, arms, and torso, though their appearance indicated that none of them were inflicted anytime recently. Four clear wings spread from his back, and his forearms were shaped into long, sharp blades. Fierce eyes stared out of his triangular head as his maw formed into a confident smirk.

As Mark discreetly looked at his Pokedex, he found that he was looking at a Scyther; he idly wondered for a moment what one would be doing in this forest before he turned back to what was happening. The Scyther was glaring down a group of five clearly antagonized Beedrill, who were obviously mere moments away from attacking. The lead Beedrill gave a deep, heated buzz, to which the Scyther replied with one that was lighter in pitch, and seemed to be almost dismissive. The Beedrill's next buzz was far louder as it quickly raised its arm stingers and shot forward.

* * *

The Scyther grew a predatory grin as he sidestepped to the right, completely avoiding the poison bug's Twinneedle attack, and responded by swinging his left arm down, catching his opponent with the flat side of his blade. The other four beelike Pokemon flew at the attacker as their leader was sent crashing to the ground, their loud buzzing giving away their fury. 

The mantis Pokemon was undaunted, crossing his arms in front of him with the blades facing outward. As the Beedrill came close, he began to spin, quickly reaching a speed at which his shape became indistinguishable. With a glance at his Pokedex, Mark discovered that Scyther was using Swords Dance; from the data, he found that the rapid spinning would not only allow him to see attacks coming from any direction, it would concentrate his energy to his blades, giving his attacks additional power.

The maneuver proved effective, as the attacking Beedrill were violently knocked away wherever they approached the spinning mass of green. Quickly catching on, the beelike Pokemon backed off and emitted impatient buzzes while waiting for their opponent's move to come to an end. After a few moments, Scyther's spinning movement slowed to a stop, and he effortlessly shifted into an attack stance, the five Beedrill surrounding him.

The mantis wasted no time in going on the attack and launched himself at the insectoid directly in front of him; his blades glowed with a green color as he repeatedly slashed at the hapless Pokemon. As his feet touched earth once more, he quickly spun around to face the other four while his previous target fell to the ground, effectively knocked out by the Fury Cutter. The remaining Beedrill shot forward, their stingers rising to an attack position as they launched a relentless assault on Scyther.

The bug-type was ready for their attack, however, and the bee Pokemon found themselves unable to land any hits at all as Scyther dodged and weaved his way through the multitude of poisonous stingers. After a moment, the mantis made his move, launching himself backwards, well out of range of the Beedrill, before shooting back forward with his blades at the ready.

The scythelike blades made white lines of light as they broke apart the group of poisonous bugs, sending them crashing to the ground, unconscious. Scyther himself hovered in the air for a moment, casually inspecting his handiwork, before returning to earth. He gave a small sigh of what seemed to be disappointment before turning and making his way to the far edge of the clearing.

Mark's eyes widened as he began to understand the reality of this so-called dangerous Pokemon. The fact that all of Scyther's 'victims' were able to fully recover wasn't a stroke of luck at all; Scyther was only looking for challenging Pokemon battles, and had no intentions of actually injuring his opponents. A wide smile broke out on Mark's face as he realized there was a chance to get even more out of this situation than he initially thought.

* * *

The trainer burst into the clearing just as the triumphant bug-type was preparing to leave it. Scyther whirled around, prepared for a counterattack from one of the Beedrill, but was taken slightly aback when it found a human in its field of vision instead. The surprise shifted to amusement when the person spoke. 

"Scyther, I've noticed that you seem to enjoy challenging fights. If you come with me, I can assure you that you'll find yourself in plenty of them." As Mark removed Pidgeotto's pokeball from his belt, he was shocked when Scyther let out a mocking buzz before turning to walk away. His mind raced as he struggled to determine what exactly Scyther was thinking and how to get the bug-type to battle him. Insult him, he immediately thought, but he remembered that was exactly what the mantis used to provoke the Beedrill, so Scyther would be able to recognize the ploy for what it was. Suddenly, almost instinctively, Mark realized what was driving the bug's actions.

"You don't want to take orders from someone who can't fight you himself, do you?" The Scyther turned around with a dumbfounded look in his face, clearly not having expected this kind of statement from a human. Mark's mouth shifted into a sly smirk as he moved into a fighting stance, pulling his hand away from his belt. Realizing he caught the bug-type's interest, the trainer continued:

"You heard me right, I'm going to fight you myself; if I win, you come with me. If I lose, I'll leave and forget I ever saw you; does that sound fair?" Scyther's mouth pulled into a smirk as his body crouched into a fighting stance as well; his feet spread shoulder width apart and both elbows pointing downward, directing his blades up and forward. The two held their position for a moment, and then Scyther took the initiative and shot forward.

* * *

The mantis moved to Mark's right side, and his arm came around, his light-enshrouded blade coming around in a Slash attack. The trainer responded quickly as his own right arm came up, catching the flat side of the blade and directing it away. Scyther shot back as Mark's left fist thrust forward, the bug-type just escaping the range of the human's attack. A foot came up just as the fist pulled away, and the mantis slid to the right to avoid the kick while using the momentum to swing his left arm around in another Slash attack. 

The human just barely avoided the attack by sliding backward, and then retaliated by stepping back to his opponent, his left leg again lashing out at his opponent's midsection. This time lacking the time to evade, Scyther's still lifted left arm came down, the backside knocking Mark's leg away before it could connect. His right blade then came up once more, and since Mark had not yet fully returned to his stance, all he could do was raise his left arm in an attempt to redirect the glowing attack away from his body.

A grunt of pain came out as the Slash attack ran across the length of Mark's forearm before being knocked aside. As Mark took the attack, he quickly reflected that Pokemon in the wild do tend to use their teeth and claws to take down prey; however, in Pokemon battles, Pokemon would direct their energy into any sharpened extremities and attack only with that energy, rather than actually biting or slashing their opponents. The practice prevents Pokemon from suffering lasting injuries from Pokemon battles, as no tissue actually becomes damaged as a result. As the trainer found out, however, that didn't make the strike any less painful.

Biting back the agony, Mark's right foot came forward, this time catching the bug pokemon in the midsection and sending it sliding backward. The trainer shifted into a fighting stance once more as he faced down a surprised, but unhurt Scyther. It took a moment for the man to realize that the exoskeleton would make it much more difficult for physical blows to affect the mantis. He dimly realized that challenging Scyther himself may have been a bad idea; however, he didn't plan on giving up that easily.

Mark moved first this time, forcing his left arm to function as he unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks at his opponent. Scyther's speed was allowing him to dodge the majority of them, just as he had recently done against the Beedrill earlier; Mark anticipated this, however, and sought to outmaneuver the Pokemon. By using one attack to try and direct the mantis in a specific direction, the trainer intended to use that opportunity to catch Scyther with the following assault. The tactic was apparently successful, as dull thuds began to punctuate the hits Scyther was starting to take; however, none were able to affect him much through his natural armor.

As Scyther started getting struck more often, he decided to go on the offensive and lashed out again. Mark was forced to dodge and redirect the swipes of the Fury Cutter as the bug-type's attacks came faster and faster. The trainer gritted his teeth, concentrating on ignoring the pain from his arm so he could focus on his current predicament. The Scyther was faster, though, and he soon managed to connect with a swing that caught Mark across his chest, elicting a grimace from the human. A new flurry of swipes followed, streaking across Mark's body and sending him sprawling to the ground, his agonized breaths displaying the attack's effect on him.

Eyes that were screwed shut in pain slowly forced themselves open as Mark took in the now-blurred image of Scyther once more. He sluggishly lifted himself from the ground, silently willing his body to listen to his commands. As he reached his feet, he again moved into an unsteady fighting stance facing the mantis, whose battle-ready grin had shifted into an unreadable expression.

Moving as quickly as his pain-wracked body would allow, Mark started toward his opponent. The trainer kept the bug-type in sight as he moved forward, his mind focused on seeing through his self-appointed quest to make this Scyther his partner. His trudging charge was put to a halt when he stumbled, falling to his knees and then instinctively moving his arms forward to halt his descent as his upper half started to drop as well. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he struggled to find the energy to force himself back to his feet. As he managed to push himself back onto his haunches, Mark immediately caught sight of a blurred green line directly in front of him.

As his eyes refocused, Mark discovered with a start that the line was the backside of Scyther's right forearm, which the mantis Pokemon was holding out to the trainer. Startled and confused, the human decided to take the offered assistance and was smoothly pulled to his feet by his opponent. As his concentration returned to Scyther, Mark noticed that the bug-type's stance had changed, his arms now spread in what appeared to be a gesture of acceptance. The trainer had an idea of the Pokemon's intentions, but he had to be sure.

"You… want me to capture you? I couldn't beat you, though; I didn't even come close." As his looked into Scyther's eyes, however, the respect he found in them told him everything he needed to know. As he reached toward his belt for an empty pokeball, Mark idly wondered if anyone had captured a Pokemon in this manner before. The trainer looked from the pokeball back to the Pokemon he intended it for, and the mantis slowly nodded his head, indicating that he was ready.

Mark lightly tapped the pokeball against Scyther's forearm, and the entire Pokemon quickly dissolved into a red light. At the same time, the sphere cracked open, the mechanisms inside beginning to fulfill their duty of drawing in that light and locking it in stasis until the next time the Pokemon inside would be released. After the shimmering light disappeared inside the now-closed ball, the orb began to vibrate softly, then again, and then one final time as the red light in the button dimmed. The trainer stared into the ball in surprise and disbelief; this quickly gave way to triumph, as a wide smile spread across Mark's face. Feeling the need to say something on an occasion like this, Mark quietly said the first thing he could think of.

"Welcome to the team, Scyther."


	6. What Did He Call Me?

Chapter six is up; I consider this one of my better chapters so far.

I actually managed to finish a new chapter the other day, so that'll be one more regular update before I run out of completed chapters.

Well, I suppose that's all I have to say for now.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 6: What Did He Call Me?**

As the sun beat down on a wide clearing in the middle of a vast forest, two pairs of eyes glared daggers at each other. A third face looked on from nearby, anxiously watching the silent confrontation unfold. As the tension between the two competitors continued to thicken, the third party prepared to intervene at any moment.

After Mark captured the warriorlike Scyther, he limply dropped back against a tree, worn and pained from his long battle. Fortunately, as the attacks he was struck with did no actual damage to his body, all he needed to do to recover was to take a short rest. After he made sure he was out of sight of the still unconscious swarm of Beedrill scattered across the clearing, he did just that, sitting down to relax against a solid but supportive tree trunk; his breaths still came out deeply, but now much more smoothly.

After awhile of staring into the treetops and randomly daydreaming, faint buzzing sounds reached the trainer's ears. Knowing the source already, Mark turned toward the clearing, where the downed Beedrill groggily lifted themselves from the ground and into the air. Mark's muscles tensed, ready to react in the case that the insectoids would come his way. His caution proved unnecessary, however, as the poisonous bugs left the clearing in the direction opposite him.

Having noticed a greater ease in moving that he did earlier, Mark flexed his limbs again; sure enough, the stabbing pain inflicted by Scyther had diminished, and energy made its way back to his arms and legs. As the human rose to his feet, he glanced down at the pokeballs on his belt, and quickly decided that his two Pokemon should get a chance to meet each other before he moved on any further. Before he had a chance to think twice, Mark acted, taking the pokeballs that contained his two Pokemon and pressing the button on each one.

Two bursts of shimmering red light burst forth, and began to take shape. Within moments, the masses had taken on their natural forms, and Pidgeotto and Scyther were revealed. The bird spread her wings wide and let out a joyous trill upon her release, while the mantis looked from side to side with fierce eyes and rubbed his blade-like forearms together once, resulting in a sound resembling the ring of metal against metal. Mark loudly cleared his throat, successfully drawing the attention of both of his partners.

"Okay, I guess some introductions are in order. Scyther, in case I didn't mention it to you earlier, my name is Mark." The mantis nodded in understanding, and Mark continued, turning to each Pokemon as he addressed them, "Now, Pidgeotto, this is Scyther, your new teammate; Scyther, this is Pidgeotto, who you're going to be working with from now on." Pidgeotto eagerly responded to the news with a quick nod of acceptance.

However, the look that crossed Scyther's face indicated that he was less than thrilled with the arrangement, and he emitted a harsh buzz to communicate his displeasure. The sound given by the mantis had an immediate effect on the flying-type, who promptly turned toward him, letting out a series of scolding chirps showing her disapproval of his remark. Scyther was unfazed by the verbal lashing, and replied with more demeaning sounds which served to upset the bird even more.

* * *

So began the staring contest between the two Pokemon, Pidgeotto demanding Scyther to take back his comments, and the bug-type steadfastly refusing to do so. As Mark watched events unfold between his two Pokemon, he knew that Pidgeotto wouldn't resort to violence here, knowing from experience that she would need a better reason than this to blindly jump into a needless fight. At the same time, if what the trainer guessed about Scyther's remarks was accurate, the mantis had no interest in fighting Pidgeotto at the moment, either. After deciding that the silent conflict had gone on long enough, Mark firmly broke in. 

"Okay, you two; that's enough. I'd prefer to get through the thickest part of the forest before nightfall, so I'm going to have to recall you both. Okay?" Pidgeotto made one final glare at her teammate, and turned to her trainer with a sharp nod. Scyther's face shifted to a bored expression as the bird broke her gaze, and he lazily nodded his assent as well.

After returning his displeased Pokemon to their pokeballs, Mark turned back to the forest, making his way through the bramble to the path he had been taking earlier. As the trainer contemplated ways to resolve the tension between his two partners, the well-used dirt path suddenly returned to his view. His intense thoughts continued as he resumed his course for Pewter City.

Time went on as Mark traveled through the woods, finding the sights to be as uninteresting as when he first entered. A green Caterpie crawled up a tree trunk to his right, a small pack of Rattata made its way across a small break in the bushes ahead of him to his left, and a lone Pidgeotto winged its way overhead to disappear into the foliage somewhere behind him. As he was facing upward, Mark took a quick glance at the sky and determined that he still had plenty of time before the woods would be enveloped in darkness.

Sometime later, the trainer eventually came to a crossroads between his own path and another, and caught sight of a couple seemingly near his own age. The pair was standing in the middle of where the two paths converged, staring intently at a map held between the two of them. As Mark approached, the two turned towards him, their faces carrying identical faces of desperation and frustration.

The man of the pair stood to around Mark's height; his dark brown eyes were surrounded by a boyish face, and a mess of black hair reached from his head in all directions. The woman was half a head shorter, with fiery hair flowing to her shoulder blades. Her blue eyes looked hopefully at Mark as she spoke, feigning cheer in her voice in a vain attempt to mask her annoyance.

"Excuse me, but my husband seems to have gotten us lost. Do you know where we can get to Viridian City from here?" The aforementioned husband immediately brought up his hand to scratch at the back of his neck as he chuckled in embarrassment. Mark's grin was a combination of amusement and sympathy as he pointed down the path from which he had come.

"I do, as a matter of fact. Just head straight down this road; there's no way you can miss it." A faint muttering of "You'd be surprised" from the woman barely caught his ear before the couple gave their thanks while returning the map to the man's backpack and setting off. He began to move onward himself, but stopped when small pieces of the conversation behind him made themselves known.

"Boy, after all this time, you still can't read a map right. You'll never grow out of things like that; will you, Mister Pokemon Master?" Mark paused in surprise at the redhead's teasing remark to her companion.

'Pokemon Master' was the title given to a Regional Champion that had managed to capture and sufficiently train one hundred and fifty different species of Pokemon. Due to the exceedingly rare number of cases in which anyone managed to accomplish such a feat, the title was all but forgotten, with only those under the employ of Pokemon Leagues still knowing of the position's existence at all. As a matter of fact, Oak being the one who taught him about Pokemon Trainers was the only reason Mark knew the term himself.

The man silently turned back to examine the retreating couple; though Oak had told him about the current Regional Champion's accomplishments, Mark was told nothing about his appearance. As they came into view, his eyes widened as he noticed that there was actually a third member of the group, as a matured, but obviously powerful, Pikachu had scampered up the black-haired man's side to his shoulder. Mark idly remembered something Oak said about the Regional Champion having had a Pikachu as his constant companion on his journeys, and now began to seriously wonder if that trainer was, in fact, this man he had just met. However, he realized that the couple was clearly in a hurry, as was he, for that matter, so he decided not to pursue the matter and continued on his own way.

* * *

Eventually, the rapid pace Mark had undertaken paid off, as he found his way out of the thick bramble of wood and leaves with plenty of time to spare before nightfall. The trainer inspected the scene before him, finding the area to still have numerous trees around, but they were much more thinly placed, rendering most of the sky visible once more. Mark glanced from side to side leisurely, looking for any signs of new species of Pokemon that may inhabit this particular area of the forest. Finding nothing other than a few old and ruffled brown feathers scattered along the ground, he began walking again. 

As Mark continued, his thoughts were soon interrupted by a sudden series of loud, screeching caws coming from the treetops. As the trainer quickly turned toward the sounds, two large, brown feathered shapes emerged from the foliage. As Mark looked closer, the features of the two nearly identical Pokemon came into focus; their jagged beaks were long and thin, and a red crown of feathers graced the tops of their heads.

The human cautiously kept the new arrivals in sight as he glanced at his Pokedex to determine their identities. They were identified as Fearow, the evolution of Spearow and extremely aggressive as a species, especially if their terrain is invaded. Mark inwardly cursed at himself for failing to recognize the feathers from earlier as the territorial markings that they were. As the two flying types lunged, the trainer dove for the ground, avoiding the various natural weapons of the Pokemon by mere inches.

Wasting no time in responding, Mark reached for his belt and removed the pokeballs containing his own two Pokemon. Upon their release, Scyther and Pidgeotto caught sight of the attackers immediately, and began to face down their new enemies. As Mark began to rise to his feet, he heard a dismissive buzz come from Scyther's direction; once he looked up, he found that the bug-type had already taken to the air, winging toward the Fearow with a predatory sneer on his face. Pidgeotto remained where she was, glaring at the rising form with an irritated expression etched on her features. Mark turned toward the birdlike Pokemon and began to speak.

* * *

Scyther launched himself at his two new opponents, anticipation of a new fight burning in his mind. As the mantis grew closer to his targets, he brought his blades to bear, each arm swiping at a Fearow in a Slash attack. His strikes went wide, however, as the flying-types split up, each darting off to a different side of the hovering bug. 

As Scyther watched the two Pokemon move effortlessly through the air, he scowled, realizing that his past recklessness had begun to get the better of him once again. As powerful a fighter as he was on land, he had not yet trained himself to be particularly maneuverable in the air. In addition, without being able to use the solid ground to brace himself, his abilities to attack and block would be greatly hindered as long as he remained airborne.

After a quick mental note to correct this shortcoming as soon as possible, the bug-type's mind furiously raced in an attempt to determine how to combat the combined assault of the Fearows from his less stable position. Returning to the ground was out of the question for the time being; his opponents would be on top of him well before he could reach it. Turning to glance at one Fearow, then the other, Scyther took a different line of thought; he knew that he would be able to block one of the bird Pokemon's attacks, though he would be left completely unbalanced and vulnerable to the other one. The mantis' face hardened, deciding that taking one attack was better than taking two, and moved into a somewhat uncertain fighting stance.

The Fearow had already started moving, racing toward their clearly disadvantaged prey with an angry squawk, beaks and claws at the ready. Scyther unsteadily turned to his left to face the nearer flying-type, despite knowing that he was leaving his back open to his partner. As the Fearow came close, his gleaming beak leading the charge, Scyther's right forearm rose and fell, catching the Pokemon in the back and sending it spiraling downward. Though momentarily pleased with his success, the bug-type quickly tensed his body waiting for the next assault to hit. The attack never came.

* * *

_"Work with her? You gotta be kidding!"_

_"Look, nothing against you, Birdie, but you just aren't that strong. Leave the fighting to me."_

_"Stay here, Birdie; I'll handle this."_

Scyther's words cut through Pidgeotto's mind as she took to the air, and, for a moment, she almost decided to stay put and let him fight the two aggressors on his own like he wanted. She pressed on, however, as the recently spoken words of her trainer came to the front of her mind.

_"I don't think Scyther has really cooperated with other Pokemon before, so he might need some time to get used to the idea. Whatever it was he said, don't worry about it too much; I'm sure he'll take it back eventually. Now, I have a feeling that he'll need your help soon, whether he'll want to admit it or not. Please give him that help, for me if nothing else."_

Though the bird doubted that the egotistical bug would ever take back what he said, she would sooner give up flying than deny Mark a request like the one he had just made. A determined look hardened her features as Pidgeotto collided heavily with the charging Fearow just before the sharpened point of her beak could reach the mantis, sending the other Pokemon spinning away. Pidgeotto firmly chirped at Scyther as she turned to face him.

"I'll take this Fearow myself; you get back to the ground and finish the one you've started on." A startled look from Scyther greeted her orders, which soon melted into a feral grin as the bug unexpectedly did just that, dropping to the ground at a careful, but rapid, pace. Though shocked at the ease at which Scyther responded to her, Pidgeotto turned to face her opponent, who had recovered from the attack to glare venomously at her as well.

The flying-type made a quick glance down at her trainer; any commands he might try to make would never reach her at this height. To her surprise, she didn't find the concept as frightening as she thought it would be. The bird-like Pokemon quickly realized that she had been finding it easier to have confidence in herself ever since she evolved from Pidgey. The knowledge emboldened Pidgeotto as her mind focused completely on the battle at hand, just as her opponent started forward.

Fearow's outstretched beak met nothing but air as Pidgeotto flung herself upward; the graceful bird wasted no time in going on the attack, after flipping so that her head faced the ground, she flapped her wings once, then twice, both times unleashing an intense burst of energy that was forced toward her opponent by the powerful wind her movements created. The angered Pokemon flinched as the two Gust attacks struck their mark, and she quickly spun around to dive at Pidgeotto once more.

The two birds circled each other, each taking turns making vicious lunges at the other. Pidgeotto soon began to grow frustrated; though she had yet to take any major hits, she found that her opponent was too quick to land any hits on as well. She quickly came to realize that she would have to find a way keep the Fearow from moving at full speed if she was going to have a chance of winning. Quickly perusing a mental list of her combat abilities, she immediately stumbled on a strategy that she felt had a chance of working.

As her opponent's next assault came, Pidgeotto evaded by darting straight up; as the Fearow looked up to glare at her, the more graceful bird made her move. She began to flap her wings at the area ahead of her, turning slightly to the left or right between each beat of her wings; bursts of wind were emitted by the motions, coming forth in a precise pattern instinctively known by most Pidgeotto. Her efforts soon proved effective, as a whirling pillar of wind began to form, which quickly began to reach downward, enveloping the shocked Fearow.

Pidgeotto immediately took her new opportunity, climbing into the air slightly before shooting straight down the eye of the Whirlwind attack she had just created. When she reached her full speed, she promptly found her opponent, who was fiercely struggling to remain steady in the rampaging winds. The full force of the Quick Attack hammered into the Fearow, and the two bird Pokemon plummeted to the earth.

* * *

Scyther was taken aback when he turned to find Pidgeotto hovering in the spot he was sure to find the second Fearow in. His surprise grew more, most likely even showing on his face, when 'Birdie' actually tried to command him, telling him to let her deal with one of his opponents while he finished the other. After a moment of incredulous staring, a grin spread to the bug-type's face; maybe there was more of a fighting spirit to this Pidgeotto than he first thought. He decided that he would humor her this time, and made his way down to earth. 

As he touched down, Scyther saw his opponent awkwardly hovering above the ground several feet away, still attempting to shake off the blow the mantis had just dealt. The bug-type easily slid into a fighting stance, and waited for the bird-like Pokemon to make his move.

After a few moments, the Fearow obliged, launching himself forward with his jagged beak thrust out. Scyther held his position and, as the flying type came close, pulled the backsides of his blades together in front of him, catching the natural weapon between them and effectively halting the Pokemon's charge. With a smirk that clearly said 'Nice try, but you lose', the mantis turned to his right, using his arms to pull the Fearow over his head and drive his body into the ground behind him, the crushing impact kicking up a rain of heavy dirt clumps.

Just as Scyther determined that his opponent was fully incapacitated, a towering pillar of dust punctuated by a thunderous crash caught his attention, and he immediately deduced that this was the result of the battle between Pidgeotto and Fearow. The bug-type judging neither combatant capable of getting back up after an impact like the one he just witnessed, he faced the slowly receding dust in an attack stance, preparing himself for the possibility that his comrade failed.

The last of the sandy brown cloud dissipated, leaving the sight of a hovering Pidgeotto behind. An 'I told you so' smirk was plastered on her face as the second Fearow was sprawled unconscious on the ground beneath her. Not one to put things off, Scyther sighed to himself and started toward his teammate, steeling himself for something that he had yet to find a way to adequately train for. A new series of buzzing were emitted from the mantis, this time with an apologetic tinge.

"I, uh… guess I was wrong about you, Birdie. I'll admit that I look forward to fighting alongside you from now on." The bug emphasized his apology by outstretching his right arm to Pidgeotto. The bird's eyes closed in contemplation for a moment, then opened the orbs that shimmered with new trust, and she touched the offered blade with her own right wing, completing the gesture of comradeship. As Scyther and Pidgeotto grinned at each other, having resolved their differences, a faint whisper came from their trainer.

"I knew you had it in you."


	7. What Are You Looking For?

Chapter Seven posted. Guess that's all I have to say at the moment. Enjoy.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 7: What Are You Looking For?**

As the morning sun shone over a bubbling stream, two pairs of fierce eyes glared from opposite ends of a nearby field. The forms surrounding the eyes were locked in their respective fighting stances, silently waiting for a signal known only to them. Driven by a thirst for battle rather than malice, the two combatants suddenly rushed at each other with eerily similar grins.

As Scyther and Pidgeotto chatted amicably with each other, Mark glanced at one of the Fearow, still lying unconscious in the spot where he had been thrown by Scyther, the masses of soil uprooted by the impact still surrounding him. He then turned to the other, who had not yet woken up to remove herself from the deep imprint in the earth in which Pidgeotto left her. Deciding that neither one of the flying types would bother to listen to him should he try to capture them, the trainer turned toward his own Pokemon instead and spoke.

"Well, looks like we still have plenty of sunlight left, so let's keep going. Now that the forest isn't as thick anymore, what do you two say to traveling in the fresh air?" Pidgeotto's joyous trill revealed her approval of the development; Scyther was more subdued in his response, but also appeared pleased as he gave a slight nod. Mark turned back to the path with a grin and continued on his way, the mantis and the bird in tow.

At one point while the trio moved through the woods, the trees to their left gave way to a large, grassy field. As the trainer looked closer, he noticed the slithering, purple forms of numerous Ekans; the field was swarming with the snake Pokemon, which apparently served as their nest. Mark idly noted that there were a lot of snakes on that plain as he passed by.

As the sun began to slowly sink into the horizon, the trainer's thoughts turned to finding a place to spend the night. He shifted his gaze from side to side in an attempt to find an area that stood out as not having any obvious dangers that could appear in the night. There were several Kakuna hanging from a tree overlooking one location; there were sure to be Beedrill coming back to that spot soon enough. In the growing shadow of another tree were what appeared to be fairly new eggshells; the protective mother of newborn Pokemon wasn't something he really felt like possibly having to deal with. A Spearow squawked out a cry from its perch on another tree branch; Mark didn't feel the need to explain to himself why he was going to avoid that spot.

As the traveler's frustration steadily grew, a new sound faintly reached his ears. Mark strained to listen, and soon recognized the sound of gently rushing water. After giving a quiet signal to the two Pokemon following him, the trio shifted course, making their way toward the calm gurgling.

Restrained frustration gave way to happy relief as Mark gazed upon the sight that greeted them. A stream just wide and deep enough to swim in bubbled out a gentle greeting to the exhausted group, and a single tall, surprisingly unoccupied, tree stood guard over the tranquil sight. The trainer pulled his backpack from his shoulders as he carefully considered how to go about setting up camp.

* * *

Mark stared up into the stars after wrapping himself securely in his sleeping bag, having decided that the weather was pleasant enough that a tent was unnecessary. Pidgeotto and Scyther were already asleep, the bird settled peacefully on one of the lower branches of the nearby tree, and the mantis leaning against the tree's trunk, still seeming to maintain a level of alertness despite being unconscious. Satisfied that his present was secure for the time being, Mark turned his worries to the future. 

Despite immersing himself in the culture of this Pokemon-based world, Mark had yet to forget that his true objective was finding a way to return to his own world. As time went on, though, he began to wonder what would happen when – he refused to say 'if' – that happened. He decided that it would be safe to assume he would no longer have a job upon his return, and what had happened to his apartment and possessions he could only guess at. One good thing about having no immediate way home, he decided, was that he had plenty of time to try and figure something out.

A slight bobbing movement in the middle of the stream briefly distracted Mark before he returned to his thoughts. As his previous line of thinking returned, the man idly wondered what the people in his world would have thought had happened to him. The only answers he could come up with were clearly not good, and he felt slightly guilty at relaxing while his friends and family were undoubtedly worried about him at that very moment. Mark shook his head firmly, knowing that taking the path he was already on was the best way to get back to them, and he couldn't very well travel without getting some sleep. He turned back to the stream for a moment before settling himself into a comfortable position and sinking into a troubled slumber.

* * *

A bright light rudely forced itself upon Mark's eyes, waking him from the dream that, predictably, was just getting to the good part. He lazily drew his eyelids apart, taking in the sight of the newly rising sun on the horizon. Directing his gaze closer to the ground, the trainer marveled at the sight made by the sunlight as it danced off the ripples of the stream, as well as the vast forest that the stream was separating him from. 

After Mark struggled his way out of his sleeping bag, he groggily rubbed his eyes and made a more thorough examination of the area. Scyther was already awake and training; the mantis was smoothly gliding slightly above the field, occasionally coming to a quick stop before launching himself in a new direction. It appeared that Pidgeotto was also up and about, as the branch he saw her in last night was now empty; upon looking up, he spotted the flying-type circling above the clearing.

Deciding that it would be a good idea to fully wake himself up before doing anything else, Mark rose to his feet and made his way to the nearby stream. As he looked into the crystal clear water, he realized that the close relationship the people of this world had with Pokemon also caused a greater respect for all of nature, making pollution a rare occurrence here. Mark smiled as he brought up the almost unrealistically clean water in his cupped hands and splashed it against his face, letting the cool liquid drag him out of his sleepy daze.

Now fully invigorated, Mark turned to see Scyther standing behind him, right arm pointing at the man and a smirk on his face. The trainer grinned, instantly knowing exactly what the bug-type had in mind. He walked smoothly away from the stream, making his way to a spot on the field opposite his Pokemon. As Mark reached the area he subconsciously decided to start from, he sank into his fighting stance as the mantis did the same, their faces seeming to mirror each other.

As man and Pokemon rushed at each other, Mark somehow knew that this wouldn't be a repeat of his last fight with Scyther. The mantis knew that his trainer was willing to fight while the Pokemon was using his full combat abilities, so he would be content with simply having a vigorous morning workout today. Mark's guess was confirmed when the bug's arm swung forth; the back of his arm was leading this charge, rather than his blade.

The human's right arm lashed out, catching Scyther's arm in mid-attack. The two combatants locked with their forearms pressing together, each in their own mission of overpowering the other. The pair immediately found the action futile, and they broke apart, Mark quickly lashing his left leg out and around in a roundhouse kick at the bug's flank.

Scyther leapt back, avoiding the blow completely, before coming back forward, his arms crossed at the elbows, the backsides facing forward. The trainer reacted immediately, catching the Pokemon's forearms in his hands as they began to uncross in a scissoring motion. Locked in a stalemate once more, the opponents each kept their gaze on the other, searching for any weakness to take advantage of.

Without warning, Mark's hands came up, bringing the bug's arms up with them; the man shot forward beneath the momentarily flailing limbs to bury his left fist in the mantis' abdomen. The impact rang through Scyther's solid exoskeleton, surprising the Pokemon with the pain that the blow brought forth. It still wasn't enough to faze him much, though, and his left arm lashed out, catching Mark in the chest and sending him earthward.

The human sent himself into a backwards roll upon landing and quickly sprang back to his feet. Just as he was about to rush back into the fight, a loud gurgling sound caught his attention. Though he was willing to admit that he was hungry, the fact that the noise came from the stream instantly crushed any suspicion that his own stomach was the culprit. Mark and Scyther turned as one to face down the source of the new disturbance.

The newcomer was a Pokemon, standing on the shore of the stream, just outside the water. Her eyes stared out from on top of her dark blue oval shaped body, and she had a white belly containing a black spiraling line; a tadpolelike tail helped her maintain her balance on her short, barely developed legs. Mark immediately recognized this Pokemon as the water-type Poliwag, having seen several at the Lab in Pallet Town.

Upon realizing that she had captured the attention of her intended audience, the Poliwag shot forth a series of gurgling noises. Scyther's face showed a slight surprise at the water Pokemon's speech, and he responded with a few quick, inquiring buzzes. The Poliwag bent the upper portion of her body downward in what appeared to be a nod, and Mark gave an inquiring look to his own Pokemon in an attempt to determine just what was transpiring. In answer to his trainer's unspoken question, Scyther pointed at the water-type, then to himself.

"This Poliwag wants to challenge you?" Mark's hesitant question was confirmed when the mantis nodded an affirmative. With a gesture signaling his consent, the man wiped the sweat of his previous exertion from his forehead, and he silently made his way to the nearby tree, where he found that Pidgeotto had recently returned. The trainer turned to lean against the sturdy trunk as the two Pokemon make a silent inspection of each other, Scyther's eyes narrowed in a serious expression, and Poliwag's shining with resolve and something he couldn't immediately identify.

As Mark looked on, he realized that Scyther, given his obvious experience in battle, was a competent fighter on his own. Any commands he might make would only interfere with the bug-type's already well-developed instincts during battle, so he decided that he would avoid giving any unless he had a good reason to do so. With that decision made, the trainer watched without saying a word as the battle began.

* * *

As Mark continued watching, Scyther held his position while Poliwag immediately went on the attack, inhaling a deep breath before releasing it in a cloud of glowing light blue spheres. The mantis did nothing as the Bubble attack flew toward him, only lifting his right arm as the barrage began to close in. The appendage disappeared in a series of blurred lines as it sliced through the air, each effortless move sending his blade through one of the water-type's projectiles, effectively destroying it. 

Poliwag was apparently unfazed by her attack's failure, and began to furiously unleash several bursts of water from her mouth. Scyther remained still, and continued to move nothing but his right arm, which he turned so that the flat side faced his opponent. The arm shifted from side to side as the flat of the mantis' blade deflected the Water Gun attacks away from his body. After a few moments of easily repelling the projectiles, the tadpole Pokemon started moving.

Poliwag continued her watery barrage as she barreled toward the bug-type, only stopping once she was close enough to lunge. The water-type's airborne body swiftly twisted around, so that her back was facing the mantis. Poliwag's tail lashed out repeatedly, swinging back and forth in a swimming motion. Scyther maintained his composed state in the face of the Doubleslap, letting his arm sway from side to side to stop each blow before it could reach him.

Before long, Scyther went on the attack, taking the moment between Poliwag's attacks to swipe at the water-type, the Slash catching her across the back and sending her tumbling to the ground. She recovered immediately, using her tail to spring back to her feet as she started forward once more, eyes continuing to burn with determination. Scyther watched intently as his opponent drew closer, attempting to determine what her next move might be.

The tadpole closed in on the mantis and pounced, launching her body heavily at him in a Body Slam. Scyther avoided the assault without difficulty, falling into a crouch and using the flat of his blade to guide the water-type's body safely over his head. Poliwag wasn't so easily deterred, however, and used the motion to turn back around in midair, unleashing a new volley of watery blasts.

The bug-type had turned as well, though, and he effortlessly blocked the bombardment, leaving him still unharmed by the time Poliwag returned to earth. Though the raging fire had yet to leave her eyes, her body seemed to have other ideas, as her upper half sagged forward and her breathing came forth in gasps. She shook herself, as though to cast away the weight of her fatigue, before she moved once more.

A new assault of Water Gun attacks led the charge, which Scyther again managed to deflect. The tadpolelike tail swung around, aimed at the bug-type's ankle in a clear attempt to knock him off balance. This, too, was halted in its tracks by Scyther's right arm; the arm moved again as Poliwag moved to swing at his left side, then again as she tried for his midsection.

Scyther lashed out with another Slash attack, catching his opponent again and sending her rolling backwards. The water-type's return to her feet was slower this time, her sluggish movements betraying the toll the battle had taken. Her eyes, though still maintaining the determination that had been with her the entire time, began to reveal glimmers of admiration for the strength possessed by her opponent.

Poliwag faced down Scyther one more time, unable to completely prevent her body's slight swaying. Her ragged panting was broken by a single, deep inhalation; as the tadpole let the breath out, a new stream of water came with it. The attack didn't even reach Scyther, falling back to earth after only a few feet. Poliwag dropped to the ground, her resolve no longer enough to keep her tired body going.

* * *

As Mark looked on with concern, the defeated Pokemon turned her attention to him, her eyes begging in an unspoken request. Understanding immediately, the trainer reached for his belt and retrieved an empty pokeball, eliciting a small grin from the tadpole. The sphere was lightly tossed toward the fallen Poliwag, lightly grazing her side; the brief contact was enough, as the Pokemon's body disappeared in a flash of red light, which was quickly drawn into the red and white ball. As the device struck earth, it began to shake; only falling still after the third movement. 

Mark left his post at the tree to make his way to the now occupied pokeball. The trainer grinned to himself as he crouched down the retrieve the sphere containing his new partner; though Poliwag was not yet particularly powerful, her persistence was something else, and that, he felt, was more important. As Mark stood up, he found that Pidgeotto and Scyther had come forward, both with slightly inquisitive looks. The trainer returned the pokeball to his belt and spoke.

"Well, let's get something to eat and then get moving. I'd like to have a real introduction with Poliwag, too, but I think it'd be best if we let her rest for now." The trio wasted no time in setting the plan in motion and devoured a quick but full breakfast. With that done, Mark repacked his sleeping bag, and the three started off in the direction of Pewter City.

The forest was calm as the man and the two Pokemon traveled through it, with only the occasional common Pokemon appearing from time to time. The three chatted and joked amongst each other as they strolled, Scyther and Pidgeotto making several gestures during their comments in an attempt to help their trainer understand what they were saying. Only occasionally catching on to the conversations of his Pokemon, Mark was simply pleased at how well the two were getting along, and began to plan when to start Poliwag's introduction.

Lunchtime quickly came, and as Mark, Scyther, and Pidgeotto settled down to eat, the trainer took the opportunity to meet the newly captured water-type. With a burst of shining red light, the tadpole Pokemon was revealed, announcing her own release with a happy bubbling sound. Pidgeotto gave a cheerful but cautious trill of greeting while Scyther gave a friendly buzzing of his own, both of which were graciously returned by the water-type. Relieved at the lack of complications this time around, Mark addressed Poliwag.

"Well, my name is Mark and I'm going to be your trainer from now on." The tadpole replied with an eager nod accompanied by an excited gurgling sound. The introductions made, the four settled down to eat; Scyther and Pidgeotto took the time to chat sociably with Poliwag, who seemed quite friendly for someone who was picking a fight with them only a few hours ago.

After they began moving once more, the next few hours went by uneventfully, causing the various members of the group to find new ways to occupy their attention. As Mark fiddled with his Pokedex, Scyther started to occasionally break into a minute or so long series of mock blocks and strikes. Poliwag let loose a small cloud of bubbles from time to time, watching the sunlight play from the reflective surfaces, and Pidgeotto sometimes climbed higher into the sky so she could launch herself into a series of aerial acrobatics.

As the sun began to go down, the relentless boredom quickly paid off, as a large city soon came into view. Excitement and anticipation coursed through the man and the Pokemon as they took in the new sight, wide grins spread across their faces. The light of the setting sun gleamed off of the stone buildings of the city, and towering mountains framed the city from seemingly every side. Pewter City awaited them, as well as the Gym Leader who lived there; as he gazed at the scene before him, Mark grinned as he whispered.

"Ready or not, here I come."


	8. What's Really Important?

Chapter Eight up. I've got Ten about half done at this point, so there should be two more regular updates before the story starts coming much more slowly.

Galbinus, I again thank you for the vote of confidence. Anyway, here comes the first Gym Battle of the story; it got a good reception at the first place I posted it, so I'm hoping it'll go over okay here as well.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 8: What's Really Important?**

The sun slowly rose over a sprawling city, the light shining off of the stone walls of the buildings that composed it. One structure seemed to stand out from the rest, almost seeming to issue a silent challenge to those who passed it. A pair of fierce eyes stared at the door leading to the inside, the man behind them preparing himself to answer that very challenge.

Mark entered Pewter City just as the lights overhanging the streets began to come to life, brightening the city in response to the sunlight's sudden absence. As the trainer walked with his three Pokemon alongside him, he decided that he would have to wait to challenge the Pewter City Gym Leader, despite how distasteful he considered the thought to be. Even if the Gym was still accepting challenges this late, Mark's Pokemon had been walking all day, and were in no condition to fight at their best. A night's rest was clearly in order.

After quietly returning his Pokemon to their pokeballs, Mark started on his way to the city's Pokemon Center, various signs along the roads helpfully guiding the way. As the long day of walking began to take its toll on the trainer, he began to pay little attention to the city around him, focusing only on finding rest for himself and his companions. The buildings and people that were passed by barely registered in Mark's mind as he pressed on, trying to ignore the increasing heaviness in his limbs.

Mark soon found himself in the Pewter City Pokemon Center, with a brief examination revealing that it appeared almost exactly like the one he encountered in Viridian City, complete with a Nurse Joy and Chansey standing expectantly behind the far counter. The man trudged his way to the two, giving a tired grin in acknowledgement of their cheery greeting. After he reached the desk and placed his three occupied pokeballs on it, he finally spoke.

"Good evening, Joy, Chansey. I have three Pokemon that might need a going over, and the Scyther and Poliwag haven't had an official examination yet." Without missing a beat, the nurse smoothly transferred the balls to a tray and handed them to the egg shaped pokemon, who cheerfully took them into a back room. As Joy turned back to the trainer, her typically cheerful expression had been replaced by an inquisitive one. Mark nodded slightly at the nurse, indicating that he knew she had a question to ask and was willing to hear it; in a small voice, she gave her inquiry.

"You said that you caught a Scyther recently; did you find it in the Viridian Forest?" When Mark answered in the affirmative, Joy continued. "As you may have known, there has been a wild Pokemon attacking the ones in Viridian Forest for some time; we didn't know what it was at first, but yesterday a trainer came here saying he saw a Scyther take down a large flock of Spearow. That Scyther of yours may be the same one." Having briefly forgotten Scyther's reputation with the nearby towns, Mark hastily gave his answer before he could think about it.

"Yeah, of course he is." Upon seeing Joy's terrified glance at the back room Chansey had just entered, the trainer realized his mistake and frantically grasped for a way to fix it. "Oh, but you don't need to worry about him, though. I've gotten to know him a bit since we met, and I know he doesn't want to hurt anyone." The fear hesitantly left the nurse's face at the confidence in Mark's last statement, though she still appeared curious about something; she didn't wait to voice her query this time.

"The trainer from yesterday, he said that he tried to capture the Scyther himself, but that it defeated all of his Pokemon single-handed. How did you manage to catch it?" Mark unconsciously rubbed his left forearm as he considered how to answer the question. After a few moments of deliberation, the trainer issued an amused grin and gave his answer.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing: I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone else." Before the baffled Joy could respond, Mark continued, "I hope you don't mind, but I've been traveling all day; could you let me know which room I can stay in for tonight?" After some hasty arrangements, the trainer made his way up the stairs to the second floor of the building, where he shoved open the door to his room and crashed onto the bed.

* * *

Mark's eyes opened again several hours later, surprising himself when he found that sun had not yet risen, though the light on the horizon indicated that time wasn't far off. Deciding to take advantage of the fact that he manage to wake at a much earlier time than usual, the man immediately gathered his belongings and returned to the main room of the center. Nurse Joy and Chansey were already there, and wasted no time in greeting the newly awoken trainer, which Mark returned with a "Good Morning" of his own. Three pokeballs were already on the desk as Mark reached it, and Joy quickly spoke up. 

"Well, all of your Pokemon are perfectly healthy. With the rest they've gotten last night, they should be ready for anything now." The trainer gave his thanks as he smoothly returned the spheres to his belt. With a confident stride, Mark left the Pokemon Center, stopping only a moment to return the farewell sent his way by the nurse.

After a quick breakfast for himself and his companions and then a short walk, the trainer found himself standing before the Pewter City Gym. Like most of the other buildings in Pewter City, it was made out of stone; however, its design appeared slightly rougher than the others in the city, as though whoever built it had the intent of making the Gym look more like a rock formation than an actual building. The structure itself even seemed to have an intimidating presence of its own, letting those around it know just who resided within its walls.

Deciding to take a few moments before stepping inside, Mark pulled out his Pokedex so he could use its data to look up what he could on the Leader that lived in this city, just as he had done so many other times over the past few days. The information didn't seem to have changed since the last he checked: the Gym Leader was a man slightly younger than himself, and a specialist in rock-type Pokemon. The Gym was apparently a part of his family, and had been run first by his father, and then his older brother. Though he occasionally took temporary control of the Gym, it was only recently that he was declared the official Leader of the Pewter City Gym; it was mostly for that reason that he was ranked relatively low among the Gym Leaders, deemed as the best one in Kanto for a beginning trainer to start with.

Steeling himself, Mark stepped forward, and pushed the stone door aside so he could make his way inside. Upon entering the Gym, the trainer found himself in a large room, and set perfectly in the center was what Mark immediately recognized as a Pokemon Battlefield. The field was marked the same as the others Mark had seen before, but this one sported a rocky floor, as opposed to the tightly packed dirt that covered a usual battlefield; in addition, several rock formations seemed to push their way out of the ground in various areas. Overall, the Gym seemed to boast at every turn that its Leader was a rock-type specialist.

An "Oh, hey there!" shook Mark out of his thoughts, and he spun around to find a young man walking into the room. The newcomer's brown hair spiked out from his head, and his tanned face featured eyes that seemed to be locked in a squint. A friendly voice that seemed to combine authority with a hint of unease came forth as the man spoke again, "My name is Forrest, and I'm the Leader of this Gym. What can I do for you?" Recovering his confidence after the impressive display of the Gym, Mark issued a grin and spoke.

"I'm here for a Gym Battle."

* * *

After a few minutes of introductions and explanations, Mark found himself on one side of the battlefield, while Forrest stood facing him on the other. The Gym Leader's face was locked in a neutral expression, his barely visible eyes seemingly making the poker face all the easier to perform. The challenging trainer let his hand drop to his belt, waiting for his opponent to make the first move. 

"Go, Graveler!" The Gym Leader punctuated his call by tossing one of his pokeballs onto the field, which burst into a cloud of shimmering red light upon landing. The mass took the form of what appeared to be a large boulder; the appearance only became more convincing when the red began to fade to the Pokemon's natural stone gray color. The newly revealed Graveler came up to just below Mark's chest in height, and was supported by two stubby legs; four thick arms protruded about halfway up its rocky body.

Mark's grin spread, a rock-type he could deal with. Wasting no time, the trainer pulled a pokeball from his belt and pressed the button on its side, releasing its own crimson light onto the field as well. The form of Poliwag quickly revealed itself, and the tadpole Pokemon announced her presence with a gurgle before narrowing her eyes at her opponent. The tension between the two trainers and their Pokemon built, until Forrest gave a "Let's begin", signaling the start of the Gym Battle.

"Poliwag, Water Gun!" The Pokemon responded immediately, firing a barrage of bullet-like water blasts from her mouth. Forrest was undaunted, though, and responded only with a smirk as the projectiles raced toward his battler. Only a few moments passed before he spoke up with a command of his own.

"Graveler, Rollout!" The rock-type had already begun moving, curling himself into a quickly rotating ball; as the Water Gun attacks struck, Graveler's rapid spinning knocked them all harmlessly away. As Mark scowled, Forrest's Pokemon began to make his move, using his rolling to race towards Poliwag at a speed much faster than his legs could carry him. The water-type faced down the charging Graveler, patiently awaiting her trainer's orders.

"Dive to the left, and fire a Bubble attack at his side as he passes by!" Though both Forrest and Graveler heard the command, the boulderlike Pokemon was moving too fast to do anything about it, unable to stop himself as he recklessly charged at the readied tadpole. Poliwag grinned as she deftly stepped to her left, giving room for her opponent to go by as she released a barrage of light blue orbs. Since the rock-type's sides weren't spinning as quickly as the rest of his body, the Bubble attack successfully collided with the Graveler's side, knocking the Pokemon away and sending him crashing to the stony ground.

The boulderlike Pokemon slowly but steadily rose from the ground; he was apparently not hurt very badly, despite the type advantage of the attack that struck him. It was clear that being the Pokemon of a Gym Leader, this Graveler was tougher than most. Mark began to call out for another Water Gun, but Forrest's voice rang out first.

"Earthquake, now!" With only that for warning, the addressed Pokemon flung himself to the ground, the impact causing the entire field to shake violently. Though both Mark and Forrest were able to easily remain on their feet, the smaller Poliwag wasn't as lucky, stumbling around awkwardly in an effort to stay upright. As Mark soon realized he lost sight of the Pokemon that started the attack for a moment, he quickly glanced around in an attempt to locate Graveler once more.

"Poliwag, to your left!" The water-type managed to pry her concentration from staying on her feet long enough to find the boulder Pokemon rolling straight at her from the aforementioned direction. Not having had quite enough warning to move completely out of the way, the tadpole was knocked roughly aside by the spinning Graveler, and tumbled across the rocky field for a few minutes before she could finally force herself to a stop.

A bruised Poliwag slowly returned to her feet, her eyes beginning to burn brightly in determination. The still-spinning Graveler had made a U-turn, and was beginning to make his way to the tadpole once more. Poliwag was undaunted, defiantly holding her position before her opponent's charge. Seeing the resolve in his Pokemon, Mark understood that she wanted to try something herself, and he chose to allow her to do so.

The tadpole Pokemon quickly braced herself, and inhaled a deep breath; it was quickly let loose in a powerful stream of water pointed straight at her approaching opponent. The water met rock, and though the liquid was still being thrown aside by the rotation, the force of the Water Gun seemed to be enough to begin slowing the Graveler down. Mark watched the struggle intently, a neutral expression etched on his feature, until his eyes widened in surprise.

Though Poliwag's powerful bombardment had not slowed, the Graveler continued moving, his speed easily enough to keep him on a collision course with the tadpole. Having noticed the development as well, the fiery glint in Poliwag's eyes brightened, and the Water Gun began to come forth with even more force, crashing heavily against the rock-type. Both Forrest and Mark looked on, each attempting to keep the emotion from their face.

Clear droplets of water flew in every direction as Graveler burst through the watery barrage, smashing into Poliwag and sending her flying backwards. The water-type's body impacted heavily with a rock formation, the blow enough to knock her unconscious before she could do anything to prevent it. Mark's hand slowly came up as the tadpole slumped to the ground, the pokeball held in it quickly opening to recall the downed Pokemon. The trainer's voice was hushed as he spoke to the now occupied pokeball.

"I'm sorry, Poliwag. I thought that since you had a type advantage, you would have no problem here. I should have realized that I haven't trained you enough to deal with opponents like this Graveler yet. Please, forgive me." As Mark solemnly returned the sphere to his belt, he looked out to the field; Forrest had called for a two-on-two match, so whichever Pokemon he brought out next would have to be able to take down Graveler as well as whoever the Gym Leader would bring out next. Not even a moment of hesitation passed before Mark pulled out an orb.

"Let's go, Pidgeotto." Though Scyther was tough, Mark still didn't know the bug-type powerhouse well enough to know everything he was – or wasn't – capable of. Pidgeotto, on the other hand, had learned nearly everything she knew about battling from Mark, so he knew every trick she had at her disposal. In addition, Mark had taught her a move during his month of training he had specifically meant for this very Gym.

The flying type appeared with a flash of shimmering light and a loud trill, and she then turned to face down the Gym Leader's Pokemon. Both Forrest and Graveler appeared slightly amused at the sight of the bird Pokemon, no doubt due to the type disadvantage he had allowed himself to get into. When Forrest called for the match to resume, Mark wasted no time in calling out the next attack.

"Pidgeotto, Steel Wing!" Though the attack was far more effective when used by Pokemon that actually had metallic wings, Mark decided to take a gamble that Pidgeotto's high speed and power would be enough to make up that deficiency. On cue, the bird Pokemon's wings began to glow a gleaming gray color as she focused her energy on giving her wings the hardness of metal. As the flying-type launched herself at her opponent, Forrest called out an attack of his own.

"Mega Punch, Graveler!" The fist of the rock-type's upper right arm began to glow with a white color as his energy flowed into it. The punch began to shoot forward as Pidgeotto closed in, her glowing wings spread. Graveler's attack went wide as the bird maneuvered to the left of the outthrust fist, leaving the Gym Leader's Pokemon helpless to defend against the steel-type attack. The rock-type was thrown backward by the impact, and was effectively knocked out by the time he crashed to the ground. Forrest calmly returned his unconscious Pokemon and spoke.

"Impressive; it's not often a new trainer can effectively teach Steel Wing to a Pokemon who doesn't learn it naturally. Don't get comfortable, though; my next Pokemon isn't going to let you hit him nearly as easily." The man ended his statement by tossing another pokeball to the field; when the sparkling red light came forth, it spread wider and higher, and quickly began to tower well over the other three occupants of the room. The light dimmed to reveal an immense snakelike being consisting of large boulders; the Pokemon let out a bellow that sounded much like an avalanche when the final round of the battle began.

"Alright, Steel Wing!" The bird immediately responded to Mark's command and rushed at the rock snake with her now silvery wings spread. The Onix was ready, though, and Pidgeotto's attack only found air, her intended target having already dug his way into the ground beneath the field. The bird rose into the air as Mark scanned the field, searching for a sign of the rock-type.

The sign came without warning as Onix burst from the ground, his rocky body throwing itself heavily at the flying-type; the attack barely connected, but it was enough to send Pidgeotto spiraling away. Once the bird had managed to right herself, the rock snake had already retreated underground once more. Mark kept watch over the field as he considered the situation. The Dig attack that the Onix was using normally didn't affect flying types; however, Forrest's Pokemon was large enough that he could strike even at flying Pokemon from underground.

The trainer's thoughts were interrupted when the rock snake emerged from the ground again; Pidgeotto was expecting the move this time, though, and managed to avoid the attack. Mark furiously wracked his brain as he watched the battle go on. Onix continued to rise out of the ground to strike at Pidgeotto; though the bird kept avoiding the attacks, the rock snake would always return to the underground before she could launch a counterattack. Suddenly, an idea came to him; though it would be a risk, he decided that it was the best chance he had.

"Pidgeotto, Double Team!" In hindsight, Mark realized he should have properly trained the flying-type in that technique. Not having seen the potential use for Double Team earlier, Mark had only briefly shown it to her, so her ability to use it was limited. Sure enough, only four images of Pidgeotto became visible over the field, and all of them made the same movements as they scanned the field. A bead of cold sweat swam down from Mark's forehead as he watched helplessly from the sidelines; if Onix attacked one of the images, his Pokemon would finally have a chance to counter, but if the rock snake struck the real Pidgeotto, she wouldn't be able to keep fighting after a direct hit.

The tension built as Onix burst from the ground, its rocky head aiming directly at one of the bird Pokemon circling overhead. The rock-type let out a gravelly bellow as the Dig attack collided with Pidgeotto. Onix's stony features somehow managed to give an expression, a look of what appeared to be shock as the strike passed directly through the substance less image. All the illusions faded away, leaving only the Pidgeotto to the left of the rock snake remaining.

Knowing already what her trainer had in mind, the bird quickly charged at her opponent. Her broad wings surrounded themselves with silvery energy once more as she hammered into Onix, sending the rock snake crashing into the field. A wave of stones and debris flew into the air from the impact, which quickly returned to the ground to reveal a proud Pidgeotto perched on top of a motionless Onix.

The two trainers walked toward each other as they recalled their Pokemon, picking their way across various holes and craters. Mark's face held a look that combined surprise, disbelief, and relief, and Forrest kept a calm look, though he also seemed to show a hint of pride. As the Gym Leader and the challenger came face to face, the former held out a hand as he spoke.

"Here's the Boulderbadge, Mark; you've earned it." The trainer looked at the polished rock-shaped badge for a few moments before he respectfully took it from Forrest's hand. Pride and confidence filled the man as he gazed into the glimmering emblem. A grin came to the trainer's face as he whispered.

"So, this is a Boulderbadge."


	9. Heroic or Stupid? The Bold Rescue!

I'd like to give a thank you again to my reviewers, and a welcome to Yetzer. I'd like to thank Twilight for his review, and I apologize for not mentioning you before. I hope that you'll be happy to know I have finished Chapter Ten, so there will definitely be at least one more scheduled update.

Here's Chapter Nine. You may notice that I've stopped the question-based titles. The main reason is that I'm clearly going to run out of relevant questions somewhere in the story, so I better find a good place to switch out of them. Considering that Mark just experienced what's probably going to be one of his last 'first-time trainer' experiences in the last chapter, this seemed like a logical spot; I mean, he probably won't need to question what's happening around him nearly as much now.

Another reason is that, as an anime fan, I kinda like the title format that you'll see here. I've already planned several titles for later chapters(mostly in the very near end of the story).

Well, enough of the rambling. Story time!

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 9: Heroic or Stupid?**

**The Bold Rescue!**

A grove of trees, not quite large enough to be considered a forest, stood calm and undisturbed in the afternoon sun. The peace was shattered as a figure forced his way through the foliage, clearly intent on reaching the other side quickly. A pair of eyes looked out with both concern and determination as the figure pressed on.

It took a few moments, but Mark managed to recover from the shock of achieving a last-minute victory against Forrest, the Pewter City Gym Leader. Realizing that he had spent that time staring at the Boulderbadge he had just acquired, the trainer slid his backpack slightly off of his shoulder so he could reach a specific pocket on it. The pack was fully equipped for a Pokemon Trainer, and even contained a special compartment for holding Gym Badges; it consisted of numerous smaller pouches, so that badges could be held individually inside with little chance of falling out or getting damaged from rubbing against each other.

"That is some Pidgeotto you have there; I've never seen one that could take on a rock-type, much less two of them." Forrest's compliment came forth when Mark turned back to face him. Mark, now seeing the Gym Leader as a fellow trainer rather than a rival, decided to return the praise.

"I gotta say, you didn't make it easy. How your Onix was able to tell where Pidgeotto was from underground was something else." After Forrest accepted the comment, the trainer went on, "Well, I better get going; my Pokemon will probably need to be looked at after that match." With that, Mark gave a farewell to the first Gym Leader on his journey, and hurriedly made his way out of the building.

* * *

As Mark was starting to get used to, the trip to the Pokemon Center was uneventful to the point of being boring. Nurse Joy was as cheerful as usual, enthusiastically congratulating Mark on his Gym victory before escorting the spheres containing Poliwag and Pidgeotto to the back room. The trainer chose to stay in the Center during his Pokemon's treatment this time, and stretched himself out along one of the cushioned sofas before perusing the magazines spread across the nearby table. 

After an hour, Mark retrieved the pokeballs containing his newly recovered Pokemon from Joy and quickly left the center. With one Gym Badge now in Mark's possession, his thoughts had already turned to the next Gym on his journey, and he wasted no time in departing from Pewter City. As the trainer exited through the city limits, the road smoothly transitioned from a paved street into a dirt path. A grin appeared on Mark's face as he started forward.

An hour and a half had passed by the time Mark came across a wide, clear field alongside a stream. Instantly coming to a decision, he ran his hand along his belt, tapping the button on each of the three occupied pokeballs that hung from it. The spheres opened in response, each releasing a mass of red light from its innards. Within moments, Poliwag, Pidgeotto, and Scyther stood beside their trainer, all waiting to hear what he had in mind.

"Okay everyone, let's start some training. Scyther, Pidgeotto, you two train together for now; I'd like to work with Poliwag myself for awhile." An expression of slight disappointment flitted across Scyther's face at the news; it faded quickly, however, and he turned to Pidgeotto with a friendly smirk as the two moved to a spot where they would have more room. As the mantis and the bird prepared to fight, Mark turned to the tadpole Pokemon still standing beside him, suddenly noting a dejected look across her features and a slump in her posture.

"I'm sorry about the Gym Battle today, Poliwag; I should have given you some training before you set you against a Gym Leader. Can you forgive me?" The water-type looked back him in shock, as though surprised the human was the one apologizing. Apparently deciding not to wait for an answer, Mark went on, "If it helps, I'm going to make sure that you're prepared for your fights from now on." To punctuate his statement, the trainer took a few steps away from the tadpole before turning around and speaking again.

"Okay, let's get started. You attack; try and get through to me." Poliwag visibly brightened at the opportunity to train and quickly straightened herself. Mark, meanwhile, had settled into a fighting stance; after a movement from the direction of the road distracted him for a moment, his right fist uncurled, and with a grin his fingers moved back and forth a few times in a 'Come on' gesture.

* * *

The sudden silence was broken as quickly as it appeared when Poliwag took in a deep breath; within moments, the air was filled with pressurized bursts of water. Mark was already moving when the projectiles reached him, his arms making short, sharp movements to redirect the force of the attacks. Though the trainer's vision was dominated by a cloud of glimmering water droplets, he briefly caught sight of a shape making its way towards him. 

Mark stepped back just as Poliwag leaped at him, his face moving out of range of her downward-swinging tail by mere inches. The tadpole landed lightly in front of the man and immediately went back on the attack, swinging her tail around at his right knee. The trainer's right arm shot down, effectively halting the tail in mid-swing; the water-type was undeterred, launching another Water Gun attack, which Mark's left arm just barely managed to deflect.

The water soon cleared from Mark's view to reveal Poliwag lunging forward once more, her tail coming around toward his left side. As the attack met his left arm, the tadpole rebounded off of the limb, using the force to twist herself in midair, and her tail swung forward again, this time at his right side. That attack was also stopped, and the water-type launched herself backward as she fell back to the earth.

As Poliwag returned to the ground, Mark was able to see her face, noting that the determined fire he had become accustomed to seeing in her eyes had returned. The new resolve was accompanied by another Water Gun, this one coming forth in a single, powerful stream. The trainer's arms immediately shot in front of him to block the attack; the effort was successful, but he quickly realized that the force was far more powerful than her previous attacks, and he found himself sliding backwards as the assault pressed on.

After several long moments, Mark was finally hurled from his feet by the ongoing force of the Water Gun, and landed gracelessly on his back. As the trainer stared into the sky from his new position, a triumphant gurgling sound filled his ears. Mark slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, where he found Poliwag gleefully hopping up and down, a bright smile spread across her face.

The trainer then turned his eyes to the spot Pidgeotto and Scyther had moved to, finding them slowly descending to earth for a short rest. Quickly deciding a lunch break was in order, Mark called the mantis and the bird over, and the four companions shared a light meal. Making a closer inspection of his Pokemon, he found that Pidgeotto had been slightly bruised in places, and had one or two small cuts, but nothing that really demanded attention; Scyther, on the other hand, had no visible injuries at all, seemingly only slightly winded at the most.

The trainer then turned his gaze to the surrounding area. The field was featureless, only covered by a somewhat thin carpet of grass. The side of the area opposite the road he was previously traveling on bordered a small stream, one shallow enough that even Poliwag wouldn't be able to completely submerge herself in its waters. The other two sides of the meadow were bounded by small groves of trees, their thick coverings of leaves not quite enough to cover the Pidgey nests they carried.

After the three Pokemon and their trainer had finished eating, Mark recalled his partners to their pokeballs and fished out his Pokedex. The trainer realized that he only won his first Gym battle out of luck, and he didn't plan on relying on getting such a break again. Calling up the information on the Cerulean City Gym, Mark immediately set to reading.

Like the Pewter City Gym, Cerulean's Gym was also family-run. It had four different trainers operating it at different times, though one of them apparently led the Gym much more often than the other three. All four trainers, however, specialized in water-type Pokemon and abilities. Mark was surprised to find that the Gym actually had a very wide range of difficulty ratings, depending on which of the four Leaders were running it at the time.

As Mark leaned back to consider how to prepare for challenging his next Gym, a piercing, feminine scream shook him out of his thoughts. The trainer grit his teeth as his hands shot to his ears in an attempt to shut out the inhuman screech, not so silently cursing the apparently common phobia girls of this world had of bug Pokemon. After a few moments, Mark gave an exasperated sigh as his hands returned to the ground, when a new noise of splintering wood came forth, followed by the same loud voice as before, only this time forming a coherent word.

"HELP!"

That was all that the trainer needed to hear, and he sprang to his feet, taking only a moment to snatch up his backpack before racing into the grove of trees separating him from the source of the sounds. It didn't take a Pokemon expert to realize that the sound of crushing wood he heard could not be made by the likes of a Caterpie or a Spinarak, so it was clear that whoever was calling for help actually needed it. Mark sped through the trees, ducking low hanging branches and leaping over fallen logs, eyes casting from side to side in a frantic search.

Without warning, the foliage gave way to a large clearing. Immediately, he found the girl that had been calling out, sprawled on her back trying desperately to back away from a Pokemon. Though the mouselike creature before her wasn't particularly large, coming up only to just over Mark's waist, the sharpened claws on its hands and the array of dirt brown spikes sprouting from its back were enough to make it look quite dangerous.

* * *

The Pokemon's furious eyes were firmly locked onto his soon-to-be victim as he lunged forward, serrated claws at the ready, so he failed to register the incoming fist as it crashed into his midsection. The creature's limbs flailed as he was hurled backwards, wincing slightly from the blow. He crashed heavily to the ground, though he quickly managed to recover and find his way back to his feet; as he looked up, he found that a new being had placed itself between him and his target, another human. 

Mark stared down the Pokemon as it rose to its feet, taking care to ensure he was constantly standing between it and the girl. Aside from the nest of spikes that adorned its back, the creature was a sandy brown color, and its mouselike features were dominated by a hateful glare; the features were enough for the man to quickly recognize the Pokemon as a Sandslash. Not having the time to call out one of his own Pokemon before, the trainer went for the new opportunity, reaching for the spheres on his belt, only to find nothing there. After a moment, a red object appeared on the ground in the corner of his eye; Mark scowled as he realized that the Sandslash must have knocked the pokeballs from his belt when he punched it.

Mark's muscles tensed into a fighting stance as his eyes narrowed, having quickly decided to abandon his initial plan of battling the ground type with one of his own Pokemon in favor of keeping the opponent in his sight. He took a deep breath, noting that though the opponents he fought himself up to this point weren't going for blood, he doubted he would be as lucky here. The Sandslash sneered at the sight of the human, and extended its claw-tipped hands in a menacing gesture.

The Pokemon lunged forward without warning, its right hand coming forward toward the trainer's right shin. Mark reacted immediately, sliding the target leg back quickly enough that the shrew's attack passed harmlessly by. The ground type was undeterred, continuing to press on to attack the other leg in front of it. The human's leg shot upwards, out of range of the attack before coming back down to knock the Sandslash's hand to the ground; the leg didn't stop there, shooting forward so its foot crashed into the Pokemon's face, sending it stumbling backward.

After recovering, the Sandslash's head came back up, its face revealing the newly intensified rage that boiled inside it. The ground type raced toward the human once more, this time curling itself into a ball, with the sharp spines on its back facing outward. Mark stepped back slightly in the face of the spiky projectile before tensing his body again in preparation. The man dropped into a crouch as the Pokemon closed in, and raised his arms toward the ball of Sandslash in an attempt to turn its momentum away from the girl he could only assume was still behind him. A grunt of pain forced its way from between his clenched teeth as droplets of bright red flew from his limbs as the spikes cut into them; the effort was successful, though, and the Pokemon crashed into a nearby tree, sending shards of bark in all directions.

Moments after the Sandslash dropped to the ground, it emerged from its curled position, dazed and apparently pained from the impact. The two injured fighters stared each other down for several long moments, when the Pokemon lifted its muzzle to the air and let out a loud chattering noise. The call was soon answered by faint squeaks coming from all directions, and Mark turned his gaze from side to side in an attempt to find the source.

His inspection revealed that the area was dotted with molehill-like protrusions of soil, and he noted that the sounds were coming from them. Small movements began to accompany the sounds as Pokemon emerged; these were similar to the Sandslash, but their backs bore a sandlike covering rather than a mass of spikes. The Sandshrew didn't appear as angry as their apparent leader did, but they still adopted a threatening look as they approached the trainer. Mark's red-streaked arms slowly rose into a defensive position; while he considered that he should have planned out this rescue a little better, a bland voice came forth with the only response he could come up with to the situation.

"How annoying."

Three of the newly arrived ground types lunged toward Mark's right side, only to find a green figure appear in their path. With a burst of movement, the Sandshrew were swiftly knocked aside, and figure turned to assess the trainer's condition, revealing itself to be Scyther in the process. A second trio of the shrew Pokemon approached from Mark's left, and were promptly thrown back by several bursts of water.

The trainer spun around swiftly, finding Pidgeotto and Poliwag behind him, battle-ready looks already in place. Slightly behind the two Pokemon was the girl, three now-empty pokeballs before her crouched form and with a determination in her face that was making a valiant effort to hide her fear. Understanding the situation immediately, Mark turned back toward the advancing Pokemon with a smirk, finding the lead Sandslash shaking off its daze and preparing to attack once more.

Shaking aside the burning in his arms for the time being, the man launched himself forward with clenched fists. Mark made his way toward the Sandslash, grinning slightly as a small group of Sandshrew charged at his side in an attempt to stop him, only to be thrown aside by a powerful Gust attack. The Sandslash was moving as well, ignoring the losing battles its comrades had found themselves in as it charged forward.

The ground type leapt into the air as the two combatants closed in on each other, its features contorted in rage. The human's arms flew up as the Pokemon's came down, and the Sandslash's limbs were caught, effectively halting its attack. Mark wasted no time in retaliating, drawing the ground type in closer and driving his suddenly raised knee into its midsection. The trainer's assault continued, raising the stunned Pokemon before letting go of its forearms, and sending his fist crashing into its face.

The Sandslash was out cold by the time it crashed to the ground, punctuating the end of the battle. Scattered throughout the area were scattered Sandshrew who were either unconscious or trudging away from the area in defeat. Mark's Pokemon positioned themselves at various points in the quiet chaos, watching their beaten opponents to ensure that they wouldn't make another attempt to harm the two humans in the area.

By crossing the clearing, Mark quickly found his way to the girl, who had by now made her way to her feet and appeared to have fully calmed herself. Straight blond hair framed her face, which exuded both gratitude and unease. Thin, lightly tanned arms cradled three pokeballs, which she then presented to her rescuer. The man retrieved them with a grin, and the girl spoke as he returned the orbs to their place on his belt.

"Thank you… for helping me. I… Oh, your arms!" Mark's eyes widened as he pulled his arms up to inspect them one at a time, having briefly forgotten his injuries. Much of the blood on his limbs had already dried, though a few trickles still escaped from the gashes; the sight of the wounds seemed to remind him that they were supposed to be painful, and the trainer gritted his teeth when they began to burn once more.

When Mark looked up again, the young woman had already slung her backpack from her shoulders, and was rummaging through its contents. The various clattering and rustling sounds of various items lightly colliding with each other soon ended as her arm remerged, bringing a first aid kit with it. In moments, she had begun clearing the crusted blood from the trainer's forearms, eliciting a slight grin of appreciation from the man. Mark spoke up, voicing a question he had just realized he had.

"Why exactly was that Sandslash after you, anyway?" The girl clenched her mouth into a grimace as she considered her answer.

"I was walking through the forest looking for wild Pokemon, when I must've ended up in its territory. I tried battling him with my own Pokemon, but I just became a trainer today, and I couldn't defeat it." She had pulled forth a new pokeball at this point, and was staring into it, as though trying to silently apologize to the Pokemon that was housed inside it. After a moment, Mark turned his attention toward his newly bandaged arms, noting that the pain emanating from them had diminished to a light stinging that could be easily ignored.

"Well, if you have an injured Pokemon, you might want to head back to Pewter City to get it taken care of. We should be able to get back there before nightfall if we move quickly." The girl had turned her eyes toward the ground when she replied.

"Thanks, but I'll head back by myself; it was probably a bad idea to try and become a trainer, now that I think about it." Mark's hand found itself placed firmly on her shoulder, and a firm reply came forth in his voice.

"Hey now, you learn from your mistakes, not let them throw you off completely. If your Pokemon is anything like the ones I know, it'll forgive you." She seemed to consider the advice for a moment, and a slight smile made its way to her lips. She turned toward the man again, and her voice had found a slight hint of confidence as she spoke again.

"You're right, thank you. I think I'll still go back by myself, but I'll be back on the road as soon as Nidoran here is back on her feet." With that, she set off on the road leading back to Pewter City, turning back for only a moment to wave goodbye. Mark waved back, and then turned toward the grinning faces of his own Pokemon. The trainer donned a smirk of his own, and spoke in a loud, clear voice.

"Okay everyone, let's get moving."


	10. Lost in the Dark! Journey Through MtMoon

Chapter Ten is now up.

Well, I have now run out of completed chapters, so I can't say with exact certainty when the next update is going to be. If I manage to finish the next one before the 11th, I will still wait until that day to post it.

Again, thank you to my readers and reviewers, and I hope you continue to let me know what you think.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 10: Lost in the Darkness!**

**Journey Through Mt. Moon.**

A deep, rocky cavern stood in near silence, with nothing but a seemingly impenetrable darkness to be seen within its confines. Suddenly, something cut through the inky black, taking the form of light emitted from a device that hung from a figure's arm. The glow revealed a pair of eyes that searched about, taking in the rocky features of the labyrinth that were being slowly revealed.

After fending off the pack of Sandslash and Sandshrew, as well as seeing off the girl the aforementioned Pokemon had been attacking, Mark continued onward, making his way down the road with his three partners alongside him. The walk was uneventful, with few Pokemon making themselves known, and none making any attempts to confront the group. The trainer was almost grateful when the sun began to set, seeing the need to set up camp as a perfect opportunity to relieve the boredom.

After purposefully taking meticulous care in assembling the tent to take up time, the four companions retrieved some food and began to eat. In between chews, Mark took a second look at the area he had chosen to settle in for the night. The clearing was grassy, with the road bordering one side, and sparse groves of trees enclosing the other three. The most prominent feature visible from the trainer's vantage point, however, was the massive Mount Moon, which stood a short distance down the road from the campsite.

The rocky slopes towered over their surroundings, and lead up to a large crater instead of a peak, where a meteor had apparently crashed into the formation long ago. On either side of the mountain were several smaller ones, forming a range that effectively separated Pewter City from Mark's next destination of Cerulean. The trainer had already consulted his Pokedex, and determined that a sprawling cavern located beneath Mt Moon was the only way to get through the mountains by land.

Mark turned back toward his immediate surroundings, finding that his Pokemon were preparing for slumber. Pidgeotto had perched herself on a branch of the nearest tree, while Scyther leaned his body against the trunk of the same tree. Poliwag, lacking a source of water to sleep by, stepped toward the same tree to curl up beneath it. Feeling his eyes start to involuntarily close by themselves as well, Mark made his way into his tent, finally succumbing to his fatigue upon wrapping himself in his sleeping bag.

* * *

The trainer's eyes opened in response to a loud series of buzzes, accompanied by the rapid beating of insectoid wings. Having just enough conscious thought to recognize that the sound was coming from the sky, he turned so that he was facing the source of the noises. At first, only a floating green blur was visible, and Mark quickly rubbed his eyes before turning back to what was revealed to be one of his Pokemon. 

Scyther was quickly rising into the air, unleashing a volley of mock strikes into the air before him. Every few moments, he would swiftly twist himself so he would face a different direction and continue attacking an imaginary opponent. The trainer grinned at the sight; he had noted how annoyed the mantis was at its inability to combat the Fearow they had met earlier due to its weakness while in midair. It was obvious that Scyther's efforts had been quickly making short work of the limitation.

The bug-type suddenly halted the volley of blows, and crossed its arms in front of itself, his scythe-shaped forearms facing outward. The Pokemon then started to spin in a drilllike motion as he began to launch himself forward. However, after only a few moments, Scyther fell out of his spinning movement, thrashing about awkwardly as he struggled to remain airborne; with a little effort, he managed to recover, though a scowl found its way to his face as he hovered in place.

The mantis' inner thoughts were broken as he noticed that his trainer had awoken, and he made his way down to earth to greet the human. Hearing another sound coming from a different direction, Mark lifted himself from the ground to investigate. When he turned, he found Poliwag firing a volley of Water Gun attacks at Pidgeotto, who was weaving through the air to avoid the blasts. The bird gave out a trill upon seeing the man sit up, and the water-type quickly stopped her barrage to look as well. Deciding that he had the full attention of his Pokemon, Mark took a moment to speak.

"Okay guys, after breakfast we're gonna head through the cavern under Mt. Moon. I figure it might be best to leave you all in your pokeballs, just to make sure nobody gets lost. Figuring in the time it'll take to eat and sleep, we should be out by tomorrow afternoon. Sound good to everyone?" Receiving no objections from his companions, the four settled down to eat.

After the meal was devoured, the human and the three Pokemon set out on what turned out to be a short and uneventful trek to the base of the high mountain. Finding the rocky opening immediately, Mark stepped forward to take an assessing look inside. As he thought, there was nothing to see in the cave but pitch-black; it seemed that bringing extra batteries for the lantern was a good idea after all.

Taking a moment to first fish the aforementioned lamp out of his pack, the trainer recalled his Pokemon and stepped through the cave's entrance. After a few steps, even his ability to see well in the dark wasn't enough to distinguish anything, and he lifted up the lantern to switch it on. The man's eyes squinted almost shut in reflex as the glaring light burst from the device, opening them slowly as they began to readjust to the brightness. Mark suddenly heard the sound of grinding noises coming from several directions, and just managed to catch sight of a small, rocky body moving away from him; he realized that the sounds were simply Geodudes that were retreating to the usual darkness of their habitat.

Deciding to leave the rock-types alone, Mark set out deeper into the cavern. Though his eyes could sense nothing outside of the lantern's range, his ears were a different story; all around, Mark could hear miniscule drips as water droplets slowly formed on the ceiling to eventually break away and fall toward the floor. The occasional squeak signaled the presence of a Zubat, and sometimes an unidentifiable sound indicated that something else was nearby. Though Geodude and Zubat were usually the only Pokemon that lived in these caves, other species would sometimes find their way into the caverns as well, usually by means of a human.

After a time, a quick look at the Pokedex revealed that a little over three hours had passed since Mark had entered the caves, and his legs were sending him a clear message that a rest was in order. However, as he prepared to settle down, a barely audible whimpering sound coming from just outside that range of his light source caught his attention. The trainer immediately decided to investigate, lifting the lantern back up to head level as he moved toward the noises.

The shining beam uncovered a small, shivering, foxlike creature huddling into itself. Frightened black eyes stared up at the man as she started to struggle to lift herself from the rocky ground. As she made her way to her feet, it was easier to see the rest of her features; ragged yet bushy fur made up both her tail and a sort of mane around her neck, and her coat was unkempt from lack of grooming. After a glimpse at the Pokedex, Mark looked back at the newly identified Eevee as she backed away on shaking legs.

Moving as slowly and unthreateningly as he could, the trainer reached into his backpack, pulling out what would be a decent-sized piece of food for a Pokemon of her size. He gradually lowered himself down to the foxlike Pokemon's level, and smoothly reached out in offering. A concerned look showed in his face as he quietly spoke.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. You seem to be hungry, so you can have this if you want." The Eevee took a few experimental sniffs at the gift, unsure whether or not trusting the human was a good idea. Hunger eventually won out over caution, as the fox reached her muzzle forward to take the food from Mark's hand. Despite her haste to down the meal, she ate in a neat and polite manner, occasionally raising a forepaw to brush at any crumbs that may have found their way to her muzzle.

It took only a minute or so for the Eevee to finish, and she looked back up at the human, her expression having lost most of the fear that had been present moments ago. As Mark looked back, he couldn't help but wonder how the Pokemon came to be lost under Mt. Moon. Deciding after a few moments that the 'how' and 'why' weren't important, he spoke to the fox again.

"Well, I was just getting ready to stop and take a rest when I found you, so if you want to join me, go ahead. I'd imagine it'd be better than sitting here in the dark." That was all the convincing the Pokemon needed, and she quietly followed as the man strode back to the spot he had picked out earlier. Upon reaching his subconscious destination, he sat down and stretched out his limbs, resting his back against a smooth rock inclined so that he could lean back. When Eevee reached the trainer, she curled up against his side and promptly drifted into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

About an hour later, Mark slowly rose to his feet, and looked down at the furred form of Eevee, who was still quietly dozing. The trainer wasn't particularly surprised; he had no idea how long the Pokemon had been lost in this place, but he felt he could safely assume that it had been for quite awhile. Still, he had to get moving, and he wasn't going to leave the Eevee here after he had already started to help her out. Coming to a decision, Mark bent down and gently lifted up the Pokemon, then straightened himself smoothly enough that the foxlike creature snuggled against his right arm didn't awaken. After determining that the Eevee's rest wasn't disturbed, the trainer picked up the lantern with his free hand and continued on. 

Mark traveled through the caverns in the near silence, taking an occasional moment to take an assessing glance at Eevee. After an hour, the fox did wake up, but made no move to escape the human's hold on her, seemingly content in her current position. Considering how little the Pokemon weighed, Mark didn't feel the need to take the time to set her back on the ground, either.

Suddenly, the various noises in the cave began to be overtaken by numerous overlapping squeaking sounds; though quiet at first, they began to increase in volume, making it clear that their sources were drawing closer, despite the fact that they couldn't be seen outside the light given by the lantern. Mark felt a slight pressure against his chest, as the Pokemon held in his right arm began to press herself into it, quivering noticeably as she began to whimper softly.

A small, winged shape broke free of the darkness that surrounded Mark and dove directly at him with a short screech. The trainer dropped into a crouch, allowing the creature to pass harmlessly over his head. Another silhouette made its way into the light, its flapping wings guiding it to the human's new position; Mark responded by shifting to the right of the being's path, his body hunching over the Eevee protectively.

Before the assault could continue further, the trainer dropped to his knees and quickly set the lantern on the ground. With his hand now unoccupied, it was able to reach to a certain pokeball on his belt and press the button on it. A bright red glow came forth, only to give way to a mass of green as Scyther's form materialized. Just after the bug had taken shape, its right arm suddenly shot out and caught a shadow that had been previously on a collision course with him, roughly knocking it to the ground. With the creature now still, it was revealed to have no eyes, and it instead had large, batlike ears and wings.

"Alright Scyther, I'm gonna need you to fend off these Zubat. I'd do it myself, but I'd prefer not risk have the cuts on my arms open up again." As expected, the mantis grinned at the statement, reveling in the opportunity to face new opponents.

* * *

The bug-type settled into a fighting stance, already preparing to focus his concentration on the enemies that hovered just out of sight. Two of the batlike Pokemon soon launched themselves out of the inky black toward their new prey. Their lunge was short-lived, though, as Scyther's forearms quickly rose and fell, striking the poison types with the back of his blades and sending them earthward. 

Three more Zubat burst forth, latching onto the bug's back with bared fangs that already glowing a light green in preparation for a Leech Life. However, the teeth merely glanced off their intended target, clearly not strong enough to pierce the toughened exoskeleton. Not bothering to restrain a smirk, Scyther threw himself into a spin, using the force to dislodge the Pokemon, and then sending a hard strike to each of the attackers with the flat of his blades, sending them spinning out of sight.

Five more Zubat came into vision as they lunged at the mantis head-on. Scyther was undaunted, quickly lifting his right arm toward the oncoming menace, his predatory smirk still in place. The limb blurred into a volley of green-colored slashing motions without warning, and the bat Pokemons' formation broke apart as the Fury Cutter sent the creatures tumbling out of the air.

A deeper pitched squeaking began to ring out when the bats struck the ground, and a significantly larger shadow detached itself from the shade. Though similar in appearance, this creature was several times larger than the Zubat that came before it, and it sported small, beady eyes, unlike the previous batlike Pokemon. The newly arrived Golbat eased itself forward on flapping wings as it eyed the mantis before it with a vicious glare.

The bat lunged at Scyther, both wings swinging forward to strike. The bug-type was ready, though, and his arms shot up, effectively stopping the Wing Attack. However, the mantis wasn't ready to stop there, and its arms shot forward and down in a crossing motion; both green-glowing blades swept across the bat's body, and the poison type was hurled back by the X-Scissor attack.

The Golbat quickly managed to stop itself in midair, clearly not intending to back down just yet. It slowly started for the mantis, its features twisted into an angry grimace. Suddenly, the Pokemon shot forward as its mouth began to open in order to bare its sharpened fangs. A bladed forearm came straight up before the bat could close in, though, and the Slash attack delivered by Scyther sent the Golbat tumbling backward; the bug-type wasted no time in continuing its assault, and the same forearm fell back down, catching the poison type's body with its back side and bearing the attacker to the ground. The impact of the bat's body being pressed into the rocky ground rang out with a resounding 'thud', and the Golbat fell still, having been completely knocked out by the maneuver.

The sounds coming from the group's surroundings returned to normal, indicating that Scyther had dispatched the last of the attackers. The aforementioned mantis glared at his downed opponents in distaste, clearly having anticipated a more difficult battle than the one he received. His features returned to a grin as he turned back to his trainer, though, and Mark gave the Pokemon a sincere 'thank you' before recalling him to his pokeball.

* * *

The remainder of the journey through Mt. Moon went without incident. Though the trainer had decided to let the constantly alert Scyther out of his pokeball when it came time to sleep, the lack of attention the group received from the native Pokemon proved that precaution unnecessary. The following morning, Mark took time to groom Eevee's ragged fur before setting out, and before long, her coat began to shine with the healthy luster that Eevees usually had. 

It was late in the day when Mark and Eevee finally found their way back into the fresh air, the dimming light indicating that the sun was beginning to set. The trainer grinned as he emerged from the cave, relieved to be able to travel without needing a lantern just to be able to see his surroundings. He had a few scrapes on his arms, and his clothes had patches of dirt in various places, but he was otherwise none the worse for wear.

Eevee almost seemed like a completely different Pokemon than the one Mark met just the day before. Her coat, though slightly dirty, looked almost completely unlike the ragged, filthy fur she had previously been covered in. While she was once almost too afraid of Mark to come near him, she now seemed ecstatic at simply being in his presence, often looking up at him with shining eyes.

The trainer gazed out at the road ahead of him, mentally figuring how far he would be able to travel before it would become too dark to see. From his information, Cerulean City was still a few days walk away, and he wanted to get there soon. Suddenly, his attention turned to the foxlike Pokemon next to him.

"Well, we made it out okay, didn't we? The area around here seems just a bit more inviting than the inside of that cave, so I think you'll do fine here." With a cheerful wave, he turned to walk down the road ahead of him; he quickly stopped when he heard a barking that started to come up behind him. He soon felt something soft against his leg, and he looked down to see Eevee nuzzling her face against it. He addressed the Pokemon again in a concerned voice.

"Look, you wouldn't really want to come with me. I tend to ask quite a bit from the Pokemon I work with, and it's eventually gonna be the same with… Whoa!" His statement was cut short when the fox pounced on him, the trainer's surprise at the action causing him to topple over, and he quickly found himself sprawled on the ground, Eevee standing on his chest. The Pokemon then began to lick at his face, but was quickly stopped when the trainer lifted her body off of his and set her back on the ground. Mark made his way to back to his feet, and looked back down at the fox with a slightly exasperated look; his eyes closed in contemplation for a few moments, and then reopened as he spoke again.

"Are you sure about this?" Eevee responded with a constant, eager nodding of her head, as though afraid the man would misunderstand her answer if she stopped for even a moment. The Pokemon stopped when the trainer began to move; her eyes gleamed as Mark withdrew an empty pokeball from his belt and lowered it down to her level. The man spoke one more time, a grin spread across his face as the welcoming tone came forth.

"Well, let's get going, then."

* * *

Yeah, yeah, Eevee are overused, I know. I didn't put her in to conform with all the fics that have Eevees, and I didn't do it in defiance of all the people who say that owning an Eevee is a step on the path to creating a 'Gary-Stu'-type character. When I cast Pokemon to be caught or seen, I do it simply because that's the Pokemon I feel fits the role best(Though personal preference kicks in here and there as well). 

I feel that good writing makes a Pokemon story like this, not what kind of Pokemon are cast in it, and I'll do my best to ensure that the quality of this fic continues to improve, no matter what kind cliche Pokemon or situations are found in it.


	11. Cruel Attack! The Enemy Strikes!

Sorry about the delay; I guess you guys have a taste of my real work ethic regarding writing now that I'm out of completed chapters. Of course, this has been the longest time between completed chapters so far; if it's any consolation, this is by far my longest chapter yet. This semester of college has just ended for me, so I'll try my best to get at least a chapter or so out during this Christmas Break. Anyway, here we go, Chapter 11:

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 11: Cruel Attack!**

**The Enemy Strikes!**

A cover of clouds filled the sky, causing a forest to become enshrouded in a seemingly fitting gloom. In a wide clearing, a pair of eyes glared at two dark-clothed men, the body behind them crouched in a defensive stance. One by one, smaller creatures started to make their way to the confrontation, joining the two shady characters in staring down the lone figure that opposed them.

Mark continued on his way after capturing the Eevee he had found in the caverns of Mt. Moon, hoping to make as much as possible out of what sunlight remained. It was clear that he would be hard pressed to do so, as the sky was already starting to turn orange, and the sun had sunk almost completely down into the horizon. Nevertheless, the man began walking at a hurried pace, keeping his eyes firmly locked on the road ahead of him.

The trainer's mind wandered though, as he continued to think about his recent capture; try as he might, he could not figure out why he had decided to add Eevee to his team. He still held the mindset that he would only take in Pokemon that had a powerful will to fight, one that could potentially allow them to take on some of the strongest opponents this world had to offer, and Eevee clearly did not fit that description. He didn't feel much pity for the fox after they escaped the caverns, as she would've been perfectly capable of taking care of herself outside the darkness of that cave, so that couldn't have been it.

Mark thought back to when he first arrived in the Pokemon World, reading Pokemon trainers' accounts of their own journeys in an effort to learn more about what they did. Most, if not all, of the prominent trainers claimed themselves to be 'friends for life' with their Pokemon companions, or at least something similar. Mark, on the other hand, didn't feel that kind of bond with his partners; he considered them comrades, and he would come to their aid if they needed it, but that was the extent of his feelings for them. After some thought, the trainer began to wonder if his decision to capture the foxlike Pokemon was a small step toward turning his pack of battlers into a group of friends.

As Mark's thoughts continued, the sun kept its pace as well, steadily making its way out of view until darkness began to overtake the area. Having had his fill of traveling conditions where he couldn't see unaided from the past few days in the caves under Mt. Moon, the trainer stopped to search for a place to stop for the night. Conveniently, a spot revealed itself almost immediately, a cleared area to his left with a small, bubbling stream alongside it.

After the man reached his destination, his hand ran along his belt, tapping the buttons on each occupied pokeball it carried; several bursts of glimmering red light burst forth, eventually giving way to four different figures that now surrounded him. The small Eevee immediately ran to her trainer's leg, curling herself uneasily against it as she looked out at the other Pokemon that had just been released. Pidgeotto and Poliwag looked at the newcomer with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, but made a mostly successful effort at appearing welcoming as well. Scyther, quickly taking on a bored expression, took care to avoid looking at the cowering Pokemon at all, turning his attention toward carefully inspecting his sharpened blades instead.

"Okay everyone, I met this Eevee in the caverns under Mt. Moon, and it looks like she's going to be traveling with us now." Pidgeotto and Poliwag greeted the normal type enthusiastically, letting loose cheerful noises that Eevee responded to with a few shy squeaks. Scyther stealthily shot the fox a distasteful glance, but chose to say nothing; Mark responded to the mantis with a noncommittal shrug, and then turned to address all of his Pokemon again.

"Well, I'm sure that all of you can see that it's getting late, so let's get some shut-eye." As the area was lacking in trees, Scyther stretched himself out on the grass, while Pidgeotto set herself down on the ground nearby and curled herself up. Poliwag hopped toward the nearby stream and laid herself down at its bank, leaving her body partially in the water. The fox Pokemon padded up to Mark as he pulled himself into his sleeping bag and curled herself up next to him. The trainer looked around one last time, noting the location of each of his now-sleeping Pokemon before settling down to sleep himself.

* * *

The sun greeted Mark the next morning by burning into his eyes with the intense light that came from its rising form. After groaning his displeasure at the rude wake-up call, the groggy trainer lifted himself from his sleeping bag and shook his head from side to side in an attempt to wake himself. The effort was mostly successful, and Mark turned his attention toward calling his already awake companions to himself. 

The four Pokemon wasted no time in finding their way to the trainer. Scyther, Pidgeotto, and Poliwag quickly donned looks of eager anticipation, but Eevee seemed to grow more and more nervous as she observed three Pokemon standing beside her and realized what they were excited about. Mark immediately noticed how the diminutive fox began to shrink into herself, and softly addressed her.

"Eevee, what's wrong? We're just going to start some morning training; it's nothing to be scared of." A broken whimper was the answer he received as the normal-type began to tremble. With the fox's eyes squeezed shut, Mark didn't feel the need to bother hiding his exasperation in his expression, but it didn't show in his voice as he continued. "Okay, you can just sit back and watch for now. I'll expect you to start training with us soon, though. Remember that." As Eevee began to straighten herself back up, relief spreading across her features, the man turned to address the other Pokemon in front of him.

"Alright, everyone. Pidgeotto and Poliwag, I want you two to practice against each other. Scyther, you're working with me this time." A wide smirk spread across the mantis' face, and he promptly began to stretch in preparation. The bird and the tadpole grinned at each other as they moved away to give the human and the bug-type more room. Eevee backed away from the pair as well, taking a different path than Pidgeotto and Poliwag so she wouldn't get in their way either.

Within moments, Mark was facing down the first Pokemon he had ever captured in a fighting stance once more. The same fierce, eager expression dominated both of the combatant's faces, making them look more like lifelong rivals than comrades who had met only days ago. The relatively short time they had known each other seemed to make no difference to the man or the Pokemon, and they rushed toward each other, poised to attack.

* * *

Mark slumped back against a tree, wincing slightly at the jostling as he nursed a particularly deep bruise in his midsection. Scyther, meanwhile, sprawled himself out on the ground to relax, giving no signs that he was even remotely injured from the fight. Without any interruptions like there had been the last time, the two had continued to combat each other for several minutes, the flurry of blows exchanged between them never letting up even once. Eventually, the two had come to an unspoken agreement; the session had gone on for an acceptable length of time, and it was time to start moving again. 

However, a rest was clearly in order, as the fight left the trainer's legs with barely enough energy to even keep him standing. The man looked over at Pidgeotto and Poliwag, finding them sprawled out in a resting position as well. Eevee, having gotten out of training for the day, wasn't likely to even be tired, and Scyther looked as though the past several minutes of fighting hadn't drained him at all. Mark soon turned his gaze skyward, and he drifted into thought while he and his Pokemon rested.

It wasn't long before Mark stood back up, ready to start traveling again. After repacking his sleeping bag, the trainer quickly recalled his Pokemon and set out on the road once more. The day was clear and sunny, the brightness providing a welcome contrast to the pitch black he had spent the last few days in. The green of grass and trees greeted him as he scanned the wilderness that was set directly on either side of the path.

Before even a half hour of travel had past, Mark found a signpost next to the road. The sign, clearly designed to look cheerful and welcoming, declared to all that a place called "Crescent Town" was just ahead. The trainer quickly retrieved his Pokedex and glanced at the built-in map, quickly finding that not a single town existed in this area at all. Immediately curious, Mark started forward again at a quickened pace.

It was only minutes after the trainer passed the sign when the town that it described came into view. It wasn't much, only a few buildings with a number of homes surrounding them; even the tiny Pallet Town looked like a sprawling metropolis in comparison. With his initial assessment done, the man started toward Crescent Town; however, he stopped when a clicking sound came from one of the pokeballs on his belt.

When he turned to see the cause, a shimmering scarlet light was already spilling from one of the red spheres. The glow settled on the ground in front of him, and quickly took the shape of Eevee. The foxlike Pokemon wasted no time in leaping to the trainer's chest and nuzzling herself against it.

Despite his confusion over the events that had just taken place, Mark managed to remember how he heard that some Pokemon seemed to have the ability to release themselves from their pokeballs at will after being captured. It was a rare phenomenon, not to mention one that scientists still could not completely understand. It did, however, fuel many researchers' curiosities as to just what Pokemon actually experienced while inside a pokeball.

"So, you can come out of there on your own, eh? Well, I guess you might as well stay out here for now, then." After the trainer's response, he removed the furry Pokemon from her perch and lifted her to his right shoulder instead. Clearly pleased at the arrangement, Eevee gave a grin as the two continued onward.

Crescent Town didn't look any larger from the inside than it did looking in from a distance. The buildings he had noted earlier contained the few businesses that resided here: a decent-sized shop, a schoolhouse, a small hospital, and a motel. The houses in the area numbered somewhere around two dozen, all of which around the same general size. Mark soon spotted a sign stating some of the statistics of the town and realized why it didn't appear on his map; it had been founded barely more than one year ago.

Making a quick decision to stop in the small town for the day, the man quickly walked into the small, but welcoming motel. The lobby was small, but well-kept; to his left, four cushioned chairs stood in a half-circle facing a currently empty fireplace. Potted trees and plants stood in various places throughout the room, and paintings of landscapes dotted the walls. The area was nearly devoid of human life, with only one man behind the main desk to keep watch over the impressive room.

With none of the motel's rooms in use, there were no complications in securing one. Mark felt a twinge of guilt at using Oak's money to pay for the lodging, but remembered what the older man had reminded him; his prestigious career had left him with more money than he would ever use, and any funding Mark would need for his journey would barely be a drop in the bucket for him. With the room paid for, the trainer briefly asked about his Pokemon, and learned that the doctor who ran the town's hospital knew a great deal about Pokemon, and was capable of treating most species that he might encounter.

With his concerns addressed, the man made his way to his room, finding it to be a good deal more spacious than the rooms provided by Pokemon Centers. Though he had guessed that this would be the case, he had never worried much about comforts, so had never thought about looking into the motels this world had to offer before. A change like this, he decided, would be nice every once in a while.

Mark quickly recalled Eevee, still perched on his shoulder, into her pokeball, and then decided to take a closer look at Crescent Town. After several minutes of striding down the various dirt roads crisscrossing the town, he had found nothing particularly interesting. He finally made time for a short break and sat down on a nearby bench, which was facing the forest that had partially surrounded the small town. The man took advantage of the peacefulness to gaze into the woods in appreciation; however, it wasn't long before the trainer was approached.

The small girl that came his way didn't seem to notice him as she sat on the bench, so it apparently wasn't him that she was looking for. She appeared to be around eight years old, and she was clearly upset, spontaneously letting out restrained sobs and keeping her gaze fixed on the ground beneath her. Mark initially thought that keeping out of the kid's business would be the best thing to do, but eventually, he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.

"Hey, what's wrong?" The child jerked her gaze toward him in surprise at the question, clearly just now realizing that he was there. She sighed slightly and returned to staring at the ground, and the trainer began to think that she had decided to ignore the question. Eventually, she began talking, her story coming out in a soft, worried voice.

"It's my Charmander. He… he's missing." A look of surprise flitted across Mark's face before it returned to its previous detached expression, and the girl continued. "We were playing in the forest yesterday, and suddenly… suddenly he was just gone. Me and my family just got back from looking for him today, but… we didn't find any sign of him." The man thought for a moment, and then spoke up with another question.

"Can you think of any reason that he would just disappear like that?" The kids shook her head, and gave her response.

"No. My Mom and Dad think he might have run away, but I think we were too close for him to have done that. Besides, that wouldn't explain everyone else's Pokemon." A short silence passed, and look of slight realization came across the girl's face, clearly noting that the trainer wouldn't know what she was talking about, and she continued. "For about a week now, a lot of kids here have been losing their Pokemon, and we haven't been able to find any of them." Mark nodded slightly and spoke, partially to himself.

"Yeah, that many Pokemon just running away from home in this short amount of time doesn't make sense." The child nodded slowly in agreement, and then stopped as she seemed to catch sight of something. She perked up immediately, and spoke up, her voice not quite as hushed and excitement partially replacing the worry.

"Hey, you're a Pokemon Trainer, aren't you?" Mark jerked in surprise, and then followed the girl's eyes, realizing that she had spotted the pokeballs at his belt. Immediately, he went back to one of his recent thoughts: was he really a Pokemon Trainer? Sure, he caught Pokemon and fought alongside them, but he had always thought of it as simply a diversion, a way to fit into this world until he found a way back to his own.

However, starting with his capture of Eevee, he began to consider that he was considering his Pokemon as something more than he did when he started. He was content with coming to a conclusion about whether he really considered himself to be a trainer or not later, but he doubted that this girl would be as patient. With a slight grin, he gave the most accurate answer he could think of that would satisfy her.

"I guess you could say that." The roundabout way of answering the question didn't seem to faze the small girl, as the excitement in her expression grew. Her next questions burst out quickly, her enthusiasm keeping her from stopping to think about them for even a moment.

"Are you here to help us? Will you help all of us here find our Pokemon?" Mark's expression combined surprise with uncertainty; he had a Gym match waiting for him in Cerulean City, and he wasn't sure he was willing to take time to help some kids find their lost Pokemon. However, he restrained his immediate urge to refuse to help and thought about the situation further.

He had no real reason to rush to his next Gym battle; after all, it wasn't as though the Gym was going anywhere. Also, he couldn't help but feel that there was something deeper to this situation, and the unknown was exactly what he was looking for, after all. There was a chance that he could find something helpful here, and he was going to go for it. Mark gave his answer, the decision made.

"You know what? I think I will help."

* * *

The man had asked the girl, who he found was named Julie, to find all of the children in town who had lost a Pokemon recently and arrange for them all to meet up at that same bench at noon the following day. As he found his way back to the meeting place, the trainer found nearly a dozen kids there, including Julie herself. Though the group held worried faces similar to the one he had found Julie with, they also seemed hopeful, holding onto the trust that Mark would find their Pokemon like a lifeline. 

"Okay guys, let's get started." Mark's firm tone snapped the kids to attention. Everyone present instantly focused on the trainer, clearly ready and willing to do whatever he needed to get their companions back. Mark pulled a pokeball from his belt and pressed the button on it, releasing a mass of red light that quickly formed into Pidgeotto. The man turned toward the kids again and gave his orders.

"Everyone, tell Pidgeotto what the Pokemon you lost was, one at a time." The children complied immediately, lining up neatly next to the large bird, each one giving the name of their Pokemon's species before stepping aside to let the next kid step up. After around a dozen names had been given to the feathery Pokemon, Mark spoke again, this time to Pidgeotto herself.

"Okay Pidgeotto, you search the area of the forest past that side of town for those Pokemon, and the rest of us will search the forest on this side. If you find any of them, come back and get us; when the sun starts to go down, come back to this spot." Giving a quick nod of understanding, the flying type lifted off into the cloudy sky and started in the indicated direction at a steady pace. Mark turned toward the other direction and started walking, motioning towards the children to follow.

This forest was little different from Viridian Forest, though there were decidedly fewer bugs. Most of the Pokemon that he could see were either flocks of Pidgey nesting in the trees or packs of Nidoran and Rattata on the ground. Mark's glanced back toward the kids from time to time, but soon realized that they already knew the forest well, having lived in the area for some time.

Mark kept a constant search for the lost Pokemon, taking care to avoid missing a single possible clue as to their whereabouts. Many of the Pokemon were of species that appeared in the area naturally, so the trainer would have to rely on distinctive markings that their owners had related to him in order to distinguish them from the wild Pokemon. A few of the kids had initially tried calling out their companions by name, but Mark had quickly silenced them, deciding a stealthy approach might be best.

After awhile of searching, Mark caught a sound that seemed out of place, though it was quiet enough that he almost dismissed it at first. He stopped for a moment to listen more closely, and then caught it again: people speaking, though the man couldn't make out what they were saying. Motioning to the children to stay a distance behind him, the trainer started toward the sounds himself, staying careful to avoid making noises of his own.

After a few minutes of walking, the source of the muffled conversation came into view: two men in a clearing, both clothed entirely in black. As Mark closed in on the duo, he noticed that they were examining a red lizardlike creature with a small flame burning at the end of its tail. The trainer knew instantly that the Pokemon was a Charmander, and the eye-shaped mark on its upper arm was exactly what Julie had described, proving that it was one of the Pokemon that they were searching for.

Mark glanced back for a moment, determining that the children behind him were still too far away to see what he had found, then turned back toward the two men. A short scan of the surrounding forest determined that they were alone, and a single pokeball rested at each of their waists. Deciding to make his move, the trainer stepped forward, catching the attention of the duo with a loud clearing of his throat before speaking.

"Excuse me, but I notice that you found a Charmander. I happen to have met a girl in a nearby town that recently lost a Charmander with the very same markings; I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see him returned." As he had expected, the two men began to chuckle at him mockingly. The shorter of the pair spoke up, his tone clearly laced with malice.

"You did, huh? Did you happen to meet the other kids in that town, too? I heard they also lost some Pokemon." As if on cue, the sounds of rustling leaves came from all around the clearing. Deciding to keep his focus on the threat before him, Mark watched the movements in his peripheral vision as Pokemon began to emerge from the foliage, each one matching a description given to him perfectly. However, their faces were twisted in hateful expressions, cruel glares that he doubted they had while they were with their original partners. The Charmander, who had been facing away from the trainer before, turned around, revealing the feral sneer that dominated his face.

With one hand, Mark reached behind his back to make a discreet signal to his companions, letting them know to stay still; with the other, he reached to his belt, withdrawing two pokeballs before releasing their contents onto the ground before him. In moments, Poliwag and Eevee stood before the group of angered Pokemon; Eevee quickly shrank into herself at the sight before her, letting out a short whimper before Mark decided to recall her. Returning the pokeball to his belt with a sigh, the trainer addressed his remaining Pokemon.

"Okay Poliwag, it looks like we're going to have to stop these Pokemon, but you're going to have to try and avoid actually hurting them. Got it?" The water-type was slightly hesitant in her response, but gave a nod of understanding. Trusting Poliwag to be able to take care of herself, Mark kept his focus on the harshly grinning men as the small army charged forward.

* * *

Mark didn't like having to leave Poliwag to fight the dozen approaching Pokemon by herself at all. He realized that she had not been in a serious fight on her own since Pewter City, and the results of that were still all too fresh in his mind. However, he knew that he had to reserve Scyther for whatever Pokemon the two men might possess, and with Pidgeotto elsewhere and Eevee unwilling to fight, that left only the water-type to battle. Though it was doubtful that these Pokemon had received much battle training, they still had sheer numbers on their side, and Mark hoped that the training that he had given her would be enough to see her through. 

Three powerful bursts of water shot almost as one from the tadpole as the angered Pokemon lunged. A Spinarak, a rabbitlike male Nidoran, and a squirrellike Sentret took the full brunt of the attacks, and were unconscious before they hit the ground. As the impacts rang through the clearing, a movement came up behind the water-type, but she had already begun moving herself.

The offender was a Bellsprout, who had pounced with her rootlike arms spread, clearly preparing for a Bind attack. Poliwag effortlessly ducked under the assault, and then spun her body, using the motion to slam her tail in her opponent's side and smash the grass-type into the ground, effectively knocking her out. As the tadpole returned to an upright position, she was greeted by a Squirtle, who didn't appear particularly happy to see her.

Poliwag dove to the left of the turtlelike Pokemon's Water Gun attack just before it could hit, and then took the opening to launch herself at the other water-type. The Body Slam struck with a resounding thud, and the Squirtle was roughly thrown aside. After deftly avoiding a Thundershock from a mouselike Pikachu and effortlessly knocking it into a nearby tree with her tail, Poliwag turned to face the rest of the attackers.

A Meowth lunged directly at the tadpole, her sharp claws at the ready, but a quick burst of water sent the feline Pokemon flying backwards. A Houndour then found his way into the fray, slamming into the water-type's left side in a Tackle attack; Poliwag held her ground in the face of the attack, though, and a leftward swipe of her tail knocked the doglike Pokemon aside. An Oddish promptly appeared at the tadpole's right, the long, thin leaves atop his round blue body glowing green in preparation for an Absorb attack; however, the water-type simply allowed the motion of her last attack to keep her spinning, the momentum causing her tail to come around and crash into the grass-type, sending him hurtling away.

Two more Water Gun attacks made short work of a Weedle and a Pidgey, and Poliwag turned toward the last of the attacking Pokemon. Though her deep breaths gave away the fact that her endurance was being tested, the fire in her eyes made it clear that she wasn't going to let that stop her. Mark's hand wandered toward Poliwag's pokeball for a moment, but withdrew it just as quickly, deciding to have faith in his Pokemon's abilities.

Julie's Charmander was less direct in his approach than the other Pokemon had been, leading Mark to suspect that Julie had given him some battle training already. The lizard stalked toward the tadpole, his keen eyes keeping watch over the water-type's movements. A Water Gun from Poliwag was dodged by the fire-type, and he lunged forward with a snarl, quickly closing the distance between the two Pokemon.

The lizard's arm shot forward in a Scratch attack, but the attack met nothing but air as Poliwag weaved to her left. The tadpole's tail came up from the right, but the Charmander ducked under the strike and launched another Scratch attack. Poliwag shot backwards to avoid the sharp claws, and then dove forward again, hoping to strike with a Body Slam.

The fire-type's speed showed again as he shot to his right, completely out of the attack's path. As the water-type landed on the dirt ground, she spun herself around so would come face to face with her opponent once more. The Charmander gave his retaliation as he launched a spray of fiery sparks at the tadpole, grimacing as she leapt into the air, managing to avoid the Ember attack.

A powerful spray of water shot down to the fire lizard as Poliwag fired a Water Gun from her place in midair. The Charmander was undaunted though, hastily stepping backward to avoid the assault. The tadpole landed a distance away, and the fire-type started forward, only to slip in the mud created by the last attack and land harshly on his back. Poliwag grinned at her plan's success and lunged forward herself; being as attuned with water as she was, she knew precisely how to position herself once she leapt into the mud so she would slide in the direction that she wanted to go. The water-type's tail came around as she approached the Charmander, and the appendage collided with the lizard's face, sending him hurtling away.

As the now-unconscious fire-type hit the ground and tumbled to a stop, the two black-clothed men stepped forward with fury etched in their expressions. Each one held their respective pokeballs in their hand, preparing to release the Pokemon inside. At that moment, however, the whine of a police siren rang through the forest, visibly starting the duo. The shorter man began to return his pokeball to his belt and called to his apparent partner.

"What are you doing, man? We gotta get out of here!" The larger of the two snorted at the remark and gave a reply.

"Come on, we can take this guy and a few cops, no problem." The weaselly shorter man hissed his answer.

"That's not the point! We've already found that the serum works; that's all the boss needed us to do for this mission. That won't do him any good if the cops catch us, though." The reply was seemingly enough to convince the other man, and the pair slipped out of the clearing. Mark started after the two for a moment, then realized that the unconscious Pokemon strewn throughout the clearing were likely to need his attention more.

The trainer had recalled Poliwag and began to gather the fallen Pokemon together when a number of people burst into the clearing. The group consisted of the kids, as well as a police officer that looked strikingly similar to the one he had seen talking with Nurse Joy back in Viridian City. While the children were gathering up their Pokemon, the policewoman had stepped up to Mark, and was looking at him expectantly. Realizing what she wanted, the trainer related everything he had just seen and heard regarding the shady men; the green-haired woman nodded along with his story, only speaking in a hushed tone when the narrative was over.

"A new criminal organization has come up fairly recently; it seems they're bent on keeping us from knowing anything about them. We've captured a few members, but none of the interrogation methods we're allowed to use has gotten any information out of them. We've gotten a few rumors that they call themselves the 'Versum Syndicate', but they're only rumors." The woman turned towards the children, who had all retrieved their Pokemon, before whispering to Mark again. "You probably won't be meeting them again anyway, so don't think about them much." The man looked at the spot where the men had vanished, then at the children, whose faces were still tinged with worry for their fallen companions, and murmured to himself.

"No, I'll meet them again; you can count on it."


	12. Looking 4 Trouble! Battle 4 the Bridge!

Here we are, Chapter 12. Not my best work, if you ask me, but I needed filler between the last chapter and the next one. Anyway, I'll be out of town with no internet access between the fourthand tenth of January, so hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out before then.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 12: Looking for Trouble;**

**Battle for the Bridge!**

A stretch of dirt road followed the curves of the landscape it rested on in peace, with only the burbling of a nearby river to break the silence. A figure stood defiantly on the dirt road, knowing that the tranquility was about to be broken. The pair of eyes that stared out from the man took on a fierce look as an arm thrust out in a pointing gesture. A feathered body shot past, charging in the direction that had just been pointed out.

Fortunately, the area Mark had found the children's lost Pokemon in wasn't very far from Crescent Town, so he, the kids, and Officer Jenny were able to reach civilization, and medical care, in a matter of minutes. However, as the man looked over the interior of the hospital at which the Pokemon were being treated, it was clear that the building was not intended to receive so many patients at once. All of the few hospital beds were filled, and most of the cushioned chairs in the building were also put into use as impromptu beds, and were occupied by more unconscious Pokemon awaiting examination.

While the sleeping creatures' partners stood beside them to offer silent encouragement, Mark and Jenny stood in the lobby, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, the doctor, a plain looking, middle aged man with a bland, professional expression etched on his features, came out of one of the back rooms. The trainer and the police officer straightened at the man's approach and turned toward him with an expectant look. The doctor delivered his news, only slight confusion recognizable in his practiced calm tone.

"Well, since the Pokemons' external injuries were minor at the worst, I ran some blood tests on a couple of them, and I just finished looking over the results. I found traces of some sort of chemical in these samples that I can't seem to identify; however, the substance seems to be breaking down rapidly right now. At its current rate, I'd guess that it should be gone completely within a half hour or so." The news delivered, the doctor politely excused himself to return to his tests. When the physician had moved out of earshot, the police officer turned toward the younger man and spoke in a serious tone.

"I just heard from the station in Cerulean that a news station caught wind of this, and they've already sent a team out here to interview you about what just happened." The trainer nodded in understanding, and Jenny continued. "However, we've been keeping what little information we have on the Versum Syndicate confidential, since we don't have enough solid evidence to prove that they actually exist. That said, we'd appreciate it if you didn't mention anything you heard those two men say; also, if the reporters ask, we would like you to say that those two criminals were old members of Team Rocket, okay?"

The man nodded solemnly in agreement, eliciting a sigh of relief from the officer. With the ominous lack of information regarding the Pokemons' conditions gone, the two managed to relax and turn their attentions elsewhere; while Mark started to study his Pokedex, Jenny walked outside and began speaking on her walkie-talkie. Time dragged on at a mercilessly slow pace, and Mark occasionally looked up at the worried faces of the children that he could see from his position, and then turned back to his Pokedex.

A half hour eventually passed, when a joyous shout erupted from one of the rooms. Mark leapt forward at the sound, racing across the white tiled floors toward the source as quickly as he could. Luckily, the door leading into the room was already open, as the trainer's hasty charge led him well past it before he could slow himself to a stop.

On the hospital bed, a Charmander was sitting up on the flameproof sheets, gently rubbing his head with a claw as if to massage away a headache. Julie was standing immediately beside him, everything else around her forgotten. The Pokemon looked up to notice the girl after a few moments, and a brief silence seemed to fill the room; the fire-type's features finally shifted into happy grin, and he leapt up to embrace his partner.

Mark let out the breath he had been holding in a sigh of relief, thankful that the effects of whatever the Versum Syndicate had done to the Charmander had worn off. Within moments, the hospital was filled with exclamations of relief and gratitude as the other Pokemon began to return to consciousness as well. Mark walked through the hospital for a few minutes, confirming the recoveries of the various Pokemon and marveling at the already deep bond between the young children and their partners. Pulling away from the sight with some reluctance, the trainer walked out of the front doors of the hospital and informed Jenny of the situation, and then strode away into the evening air.

After retrieving Pidgeotto from where she had been waiting, it wasn't long before Mark found his way back to his motel room, running his eyes across the spacious area to ensure everything was the way he had left it. He would have to face a news interview the next day and, though he wasn't normally one to go to great lengths for the sake of his looks, the trainer figured that he should give a good first impression on his first appearance on television, not to mention his first real public appearance in this world. The man slid into the bathroom, and began a silent consultation with the mirror.

Although Mark had been regularly bathing in streams and lakes whenever he had the opportunity, the various grime from traveling through forests and caves still clung to him like a film; a thorough shower would definitely be in order. He hadn't had many opportunities to shave over the past few days either, and thick stubble covered the lower half of his face, rendering his goatee indistinguishable. It took some time to go through every aspect of hygiene the man had ever heard of, but when he finished, he felt that he was as presentable as he had ever been.

Mark made his way to the pokeballs he had left out, and proceeded to release his Pokemon into the room. Eevee, having seen the area already, immediately hopped onto the bed and began jumping up and down on it. Pidgeotto looked around for a moment, but didn't have much of a reaction to the room, quickly turning toward the rest of her companions. Poliwag, who had recovered from her earlier battle, looked around with curiosity, while Scyther turned from side to side, regarding his surroundings with caution. Mark cleared his throat loudly and, with his Pokemons' attention focused on himself, he began to speak.

"Alright guys, we're going to sleep here tonight. I'm told that Cerulean City is less than a day away, so we're going to head out tomorrow as soon as we can." The Pokemon nodded their understanding and began to pick spots to sleep. Pidgeotto set herself on a table in the room, while Scyther stretched out on the floor. Mark filled the bathtub with a few inches of water, which Poliwag cheerfully hopped into. Eevee, having already been on the bed, decided to stay there; the trainer dropped himself onto the mattress as well, allowing the fox to curl up next to him as he fell asleep.

* * *

It was just past noon the next day when Mark finally made his way out of Crescent Town. The news interview had gone by with him managing to avoid any real embarrassment, but he still preferred to avoid thinking back on the experience again anytime soon. Public speaking was one of the few things that could rattle his nerves, and he couldn't help but feel that the reporters were more bent on trying to find hidden meanings in what he was saying than in getting the real story.

Julie and the rest of the kids seemed sorry to see Mark go, and each one made a point of thanking the trainer personally before he left. The Pokemon that accompanied the children all wore apologetic looks when they saw him, apparently capable of recalling the period in which they were under the Versum Syndicate's control. The man could only hope that his attempt at a reassuring grin was enough to convince the small creatures that he didn't hold the incident against them.

At any rate, Mark had begun to travel the path that made up the last leg of the journey between Pewter and Cerulean. He once again had to go into the same dense forest as the day before, but the fact that he didn't have to find lost Pokemon or face down criminals made the trip go by much faster than the last trip through. It was less than an hour before the trees gave way to sun-brightened fields, where the trail widened into a road that clearly pointed the way to the trainer's next destination.

It was another few hours of walking before the rushing sounds of fast moving water began to fill the air. A few minutes more of walking brought the source into view: a river, cutting directly across the trainer's path, and moving far too quickly to even consider swimming across. A momentary inspection of the area quickly revealed a wide bridge connecting the two banks of the speeding river, and Mark made his way up to it.

As the man came closer to the bridge, he noticed that there was a Pokemon standing next to it. The creature was short and birdlike, with a bill and feet that resembled those of a duck, and its wings ended in five almost fingerlike protrusions that were wrapped around what appeared to be a plant stem. With a momentary glance at his Pokedex, the apparent guard was revealed to be a Farfetch'd, a ducklike Pokemon that invariably tended to find a durable plant stalk and form a sort of bond with it, keeping the reed with them wherever they went.

As Mark approached the bridge, the Farfetch'd took action immediately. Though the Pokemon was already standing between the trainer and his destination, he repositioned himself in order to make it clear that he was going to block the man's path. The flying-type brought up the wing that held his ever present reed as the man continued to approach, holding it up in a warding gesture. Mark, who had come to stand mere feet from the Farfetch'd, held up his own hands in an attempt to assure the duck that he didn't intend to hurt it and calmly spoke.

"Excuse me, but I need to get to Cerulean City, so I'm going to need to cross that bridge. Could you step aside, please?" The duck's bill pulled into a sneer, and the Farfetch'd gave its answer with a curt shake of his head. The trainer, not satisfied with the response, took a tentative step forward, but a threatening swing of the flying-type's plant stalk forced him to stay back. Mark's hand slowly reached toward his belt as he tried reasoning again.

"Look, could you get out of the way so I can get by? Rest assured; I will force you out of the way if I have to." The duck's cocky grin remained in place, and he fell into a crouch, the reed that he carried held out horizontally in front of him. Realizing that the Pokemon was moving into a fighting stance, the trainer acknowledged the upcoming battle by addressing him one more time.

"Well, if a fight's what you want, then you got one." With that, Mark quickly unleashed a Pokemon of his own, pulling a sphere from his belt and pressing the button on the side, sending out Pidgeotto in a burst of crimson light. The flying-type caught sight of her opponent immediately, and began to inspect the other bird in an attempt to determine his abilities. The two Pokemon stared each other down for a few moments as the battle began.

* * *

The duck went into motion first, thrusting the wing holding his reed in front of himself and spinning it between what passed for his fingers, and the improvised weapon soon disappeared into a circular blur. Mark quickly realized that the Pokemon was planning to use the Swords Dance to increase the power of his attacks, and wasted no time in calling his own battler to action.

"Pidgeotto, give 'im a Quick Attack!" The man's arm came forward with the order, pointing out the intended recipient of the assault, and the bird shot forward, quickly closing in on the stationary duck. Within moments, the two opponents had become mere feet apart, and the other Pokemon's look of concentration morphed into a smirk, just as he began moving.

The Farfetch'd neatly sidestepped to the right just as Pidgeotto closed in, and a powerful swing of the duck's reed crashed into the side of the other flying type, the painful strike sending her tumbling away. After a few harsh collisions with the hard dirt, Pidgeotto managed to become airborne again, and she shot upwards, quickly gaining distance from her opponent until she received her trainer's next command. Though Mark winced in sympathy with every impact that struck his battler, he still managed to quickly evaluate the situation with a calm demeanor before sending new orders to his Pokemon.

"Now, use Gust attack!" Pidgeotto complied immediately, flipping in midair so that she faced her opponent before unleashing two bursts of energy with powerful beats of her wings. The duck was ready, though, and two quick hops carried him out of the way of both of the attacks, as well as the clouds of dirt and dust that they kicked up upon hitting the ground.

After ensuring that he was clear of the attacks that were thrown at him, the wild duck paused only to transfer his plant stalk from his wing to his bill before taking to the air, making a beeline toward Pidgeotto with a predatory sneer. The elegant flying-type began to lurch across the sky in an erratic pattern in an attempt to throw off her opponent's pursuit, but the Farfetch'd was completely unhindered by the strategy, always managing to return to a collision course with his target. Within moments, the duck was directly below Pidgeotto, and with a deft movement, returned the reed to its wing before swiping the weapon, now glowing with white energy, across her midsection in a Slash attack; with a pained cry, the injured bird began to plummet toward the earth.

Mark could only watch helplessly as his Pokemon fell, her eyes squinted shut from the pain of the attack she had just received. His first thought was to recall the bird to her pokeball, but his hand stopped abruptly as a nagging in the back of his mind spoke against the idea. In a flash, every one of his experiences with Pidgeotto raced through his mind; every time the flying-type trained or fought, it was for his sake, one way or another; helping him train back at the Lab, assisting in fending off Pokemon attacks, facing down Forrest's rock-type Pokemon, they had all been for him. Now, the man realized, she needed him to be there for her, to believe in her, and have faith that she was capable of holding her own, even in tough situations like this one.

"Pidgeotto, pull yourself together; I know you can do it!" Mark's confident voice rang out clearly through the area, easily reaching both participants of the battle. The addressed bird responded immediately, wrenching her eyes open and spreading her wings wide, sending herself into a glide with mere feet separating her from the ground. The Farfetch'd remained in midair, still hovering in the spot where he had struck Pidgeotto with a disappointed frown marring his face. The immediate danger over, the trainer turned his thinking towards how to defeat the unexpectedly quick duck.

"Okay Pidgeotto, use Sand-Attack! Kick up everything around you!" Understanding instantly, the flying-type began flapping her wings rapidly, dislodging dirt and sand from the ground beneath her and forcing it upward until it formed a cloud that soon obscured her feathered features. Mark relaxed slightly; deciding that Pidgeotto would be safe in the concealing dust for the time being, and continued thinking, trying to come up with an attack plan.

"Okay, use Double Team first, then Gust!" Mark wasn't able to see his flying-type use Double Team concealed in the dust cloud as she was, but then, neither could the Farfetch'd. After a few moments, the swirling debris gave way as several Pidgeottos burst from it, each one bearing the same determined expression as they prepared to follow their trainer's orders. The flock of birds beat their wings in the direction of the wild duck, each flap sending a burst of energy in his direction.

The Farfetch'd started moving again as the attacks closed in on him, darting back and forth to avoid the speeding projectiles. With no way to know which of the numerous Pidgeottos was the real one, the duck had no choice but to avoid all of the attacks thrown his way, and the task quickly proved impossible for even his speed. The first burst of energy that he failed to evade sailed harmlessly through his midsection, having clearly been nothing more than an image; another skimmed through his right wing, and he couldn't help but flinch as one more closed in directly on his face, only to open his eyes again a moment later when he realized that there was no impact.

The flying-type's luck couldn't hold out for long, though, as one of the assaults closed in on his left side; he jerked backwards from the impact of the all too real Gust attack and began to fall from the sky. Pidgeotto's barrage stopped as she and Mark watched the Farfetch'd struggle to halt his descent even as the ground rushed up to meet him. Then, just as the duck and the earth were just about to meet, he managed to give a powerful flap of both his wings; a few more quick beats of the limbs slowed him further until he was hovering in midair once more. Noticing the Farfetch'd begin to rear back, Mark hurriedly gave his Pokemon new orders.

"Okay, it looks like he's going to attack again. Remember what we practiced: dodge and counter. Use your best judgment on what to attack with unless I tell you differently." Pidgeotto gave a quick nod just as her opponent shot forward, reed still held firmly in his bill.

Though the Farfetch'd lashed out forcefully with his makeshift weapon in a Slash attack, Pidgeotto had already moved to the left, completely avoiding the attack. From her new position, the graceful bird gave another powerful beat of her wings, unleashing another Gust attack at her opponent; the duck was already moving, however, and he shot upwards, allowing the burst of energy to pass below him. He came down again in moments, his stalk once again coming around in a vicious Slash, but Pidgeotto had already shot forward, passing directly beneath both the duck and his attack.

The flying-type wasn't done yet, though, quickly turning around and coming straight at her opponent once more, her wings spread wide. The Wing Attack struck home, hammering into the duck's midsection and bearing him backwards. Pidgeotto stopped herself after a few moments, but the Farfetch'd kept moving, the force of the impact keeping his body hurtling away. The duck eventually righted himself, but clearly had trouble shaking off the blow; Mark saw the opening that his Pokemon needed, and gave one more order.

"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" The flying-type had been breathing heavily after the last attack, but quickly stopped upon hearing her trainer speak. Shaking off her fatigue, the bird spread her wings wide, and then thrust them back, causing her feathered form to lunge toward her opponent. The duck was in no position either dodge or defend against the strike, and could do nothing but widen his eyes in surprise as Pidgeotto closed in. A resounding thud punctuated the collision between the two flying-types, almost deafening in its finality. The Farfetch'd was thrown to the ground, bouncing a few times before finally rolling to a stop; though Pidgeotto was also pained from the blow, she fared better, and was able to carefully lower herself to the earth before she stooped forward in exhaustion.

Mark placed a comforting hand on his Pokemon's back, noting with some worry the bruises that had become somewhat visible beneath her feathers. He gave an approving grin as the bird turned toward him, and wordlessly returned the tired Pokemon to her sphere. With Pidgeotto taken care of, the trainer turned to check on the other participant of the battle.

The Farfetch'd was still conscious, but was clearly too tired to stand, much less continue fighting. His battered body was sprawled on the ground face first, until he lifted his head to glare at Mark. The trainer was surprised at the anger that radiated from the duck's gaze, but he decided to speak to him one last time.

"Sorry I had to do that, but you didn't leave me with much of an option. Do you need any help?" The Farfetch'd finally spoke to him then, but the quack that came forth was filled with vehemence that it was clear that he wanted nothing to do with the human. Deciding to let the wild duck recover on his own, Mark walked toward the bridge, and crossed it.

* * *

Nightfall eventually broke, and Mark stopped at a clearing beside the road to spend the night. As always, he had let out all of his Pokemon, allowing them to sleep in the fresh air. The rustling of the wind through the trees was all that broke the silence, and though the wooded smell of the forest was no stranger to him after spending so much time walking through so many, it still seemed new to him whenever he stopped to notice it.

After Mark entered his sleeping bag, he thought briefly back to the Farfetch'd that had attempted to bar his way, and wondered what the duck's motivation could have been. He dropped that line of thought in moments, and turned again toward his next Gym battle; Cerulean was only an hour or so walking distance, so he had every intention of making sure that he challenged the Gym the next day. The man sat up slowly, turning to take in the sleeping forms of his four Pokemon; satisfied with what he saw, he lay back down and prepared to sleep, letting out a small whisper to himself.

"Yeah, we're ready."


	13. A City at Last! The Sensational Gym!

I'm back, with Chapter 13. I'd like to thank my new reviewers, including Blake Wilson and tatewaki2000, as well as Galbinus for sticking around all this time. Not a whole lot else to say for now, so on with the story.**  
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* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 13: A City at Last;**

**The Sensational Gym!**

In a sprawling building, a wide pool stood in near silence, the water it contained clear enough that the bottom could easily be seen. Four small platforms floated on the surface, with two of them each carrying a single humanoid figure. A pair of eyes gazed defiantly from the more masculine form, as the figure's arm reached down and produced a shiny red and white sphere.

It was morning when Mark began moving toward Cerulean City once more. Having decided to forego training for the day, the trainer had already returned his companions to their pokeballs immediately after a quick breakfast and set off. The road he traveled on had a tranquil air about it, with only a few wild Pokemon that nested in the surrounding trees making movements or sounds. The weather was also good for traveling; the sun shone down cheerily, while a refreshing breeze kicked up from time to time.

Mark was almost regretful when Cerulean City came into view after a mere hour of walking, realizing that he wouldn't be putting those perfect traveling conditions to use. The city was actually larger than Pewter City had been, but not quite as large as Viridian. Many of the buildings reflected the sunlight off of glimmering windows, almost giving the city the appearance of a polished gem.

The trainer set off quickly, his mind set on having his Pokemon checked out at this town's Pokemon Center before heading straight to the Gym. Just as he was making his way down a street, though, Mark heard a clicking noise coming from his belt; immediately, a red light burst from one of the spheres that hung there and deposited itself on his right shoulder in the form of Eevee. Though her weight wasn't much, it was enough to send the man off balance, and he just barely caught himself before careening into a group of recycling bins.

After collecting himself, Mark turned his head to the right, leaving him face to face with the furry features of his latest Pokemon. The fox didn't seem concerned with her trainer's plight only seconds ago, licking his cheek once before setting down on her selected perch. After a moment, the trainer relaxed himself and decided to let the matter drop, craning his right arm up to pet the creature's head as he set off again.

The rest of Mark's rush toward the Cerulean City Pokemon Center went by uneventfully, and he grinned slightly as the now familiar sight surrounded him. There were a few photographs and paintings on the walls that were different from those he had seen in the other Pokemon Centers he had visited, and there were a few trainers apparently waiting for Pokemon to come out of treatment, but the large room was otherwise the same as those in Viridian and Pewter. The man stepped up to the counter, quickly addressing the Nurse Joy that stood behind it.

"Hey there, I need you to take a look at the Pokemon in these three pokeballs, and make sure they're okay for fighting later today." After handing over the orbs in question, Mark gently lifted Eevee from his shoulder and set her on the counter before he continued. "This Eevee here hasn't had an official examination yet, so I'd like to get that taken care of, too. Take it easy, though; she tends to frighten a little easily." The nurse nodded in understanding and picked up the fox before taking her out of the room; a pink egg-shaped Chansey then came up, placing the trainer's four pokeballs in a tray before carrying them away as well.

His body apparently having become used to traveling during that time of day, Mark found himself unable to stand still, and couldn't keep himself from constantly pacing from one end of the large waiting room to another. On a few occasions, he even had to wave off other trainers who had thought his anxiety was due to a critically injured Pokemon. After what seemed like a particularly long hour, Nurse Joy called out to Mark, informing him that his Pokemon had all completed their examinations.

With the wait over, the trainer felt his anxiety lift somewhat, and was able to move at a more calmed pace as he stepped back up to the counter. As Joy handed the four pokeballs over, she informed Mark that all of his Pokemon were in excellent condition. As the man returned the spheres to his belt, he remembered his recent battle outside the city, and decided to ask about it.

"Hey Joy, before I came into the city, I came across a Farfetch'd that was trying to keep me from crossing a bridge. Would you happen to know anything about that?" The nurse sighed to herself before giving a short nod.

"Yes, I do. Some months ago, there was a small gang near Cerulean who used that bridge as a base of operations. When the police went to arrest them, the leader left that Farfetch'd behind when they fled. As far as I can tell, Farfetch'd thinks that they'll come back for him eventually, so he refused to stay away from that bridge for long. The Gym Leaders here go to chase him back regularly, though, so people who come here by that road usually don't have to deal with him."

Mark thoughtfully nodded in understanding and thanked Joy for the information, and then turned towards the exit. Giving polite nods to the other trainers who were waiting for their own Pokemon to complete their examinations, the man quickly left the Center, with the Cerulean City Gym set as his next destination.

The building Mark arrived at didn't stand out from its surroundings quite as much as its counterpart in Pewter, but it was still clearly recognizable for what it was. Like many of the other buildings nearby, the outer walls of the Gym were dominated by large windows, though the windows of the Gym had a design of crashing waves of water painted onto them. The front door leading into the building was a double glass door with the same watery design painted onto the otherwise transparent surfaces, which Mark promptly pushed aside as he strode into the structure.

After going through a short, unremarkable hallway, Mark found himself in a large room, which he initially guessed to be slightly larger than the main room of the Pewter Gym. The walls there were the same light blue color as those in the hallway he had just passed through, and there was a massive pool dominating the area. The water in the pool was at least as clean as the other bodies of water the trainer had come across, providing an unobscured view of various Pokemon that were making use of it.

With a small splash, a blond haired woman burst forth from under the water. After taking a moment to remember what he had found out about the Gym he was standing in, Mark realized that the woman was most likely Daisy. The revelation wasn't overly surprising, as his information told him that the woman tended to operate the Gym more often than the rest of her sisters as of recently. The blonde was also the second best of the 'Sensational Sisters', as the four women called themselves; Mark was slightly relieved that he wouldn't have to face the strongest one, as she was reputed to be extremely powerful, even moreso than most of the Gyms in the region. Then again, he couldn't help but be slightly disappointed at missing such a challenge; he set those thoughts aside as the Gym Leader pulled herself out of the pool and stood in front of him.

"Hello, I'm Daisy, the Gym Leader here for today. Let me guess, you're here for a badge?" The older woman's voice had a sort of ditzy quality to it, which seemed to conflict with her sharp, discerning gaze. The trainer gave his answer with a sharp nod, and the Gym Leader continued. "Okay then, wait here for a sec."

With that, Daisy turned and walked toward a nearby wall, making her way toward a small panel of buttons on it. She was wearing a red two-piece swimsuit that was still dripping from her recently interrupted swim, and Mark shook his head roughly, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. When the Gym Leader reached the panel, she pressed a few buttons, and a mechanical whirring came from the depths of the nearby pool.

Immediately recognizing what was happening, the Pokemon that were already in the water began to make their way out of it, scurrying across the floor to a doorway leading out of the room. Moments after the last of the sea creatures evacuated the pool, the surface of the water showed signs of being disturbed yet again. The liquid surged up violently in several places, as platforms broke through to the surface. There were four in all, two large, square ones on opposite ends of the pool, and two smaller, round ones that bobbed closer to the center.

After retrieving a few objects from a nearby table, Daisy walked toward the opposite end of the pool, and Mark quickly took the hint, making his way towards the large platform closest to him. The floating structure bobbed about slightly as the man stepped onto it, but he made it on without incident. In moments, the trainer and the Gym Leader stood facing each other; Daisy continued immediately, addressing Mark in a clear voice.

"This is going to be a one-on-one battle, 'kay? I'll send out Dewgong!" As the woman wrapped up her explanation, she tossed a red and white sphere forward. The orb burst open, releasing a shimmering red light into the water that soon shrank into the form a white Pokemon that bore a resemblance to a slender, elegant form of seal with a small horn on its head. Mark had already produced the pokeball he intended to use, and he promptly thrust forward the hand that held it.

"Let's do this, Scyther." Upon pressing the button on the front of the sphere, it opened up, spilling the crimson light inside onto one of the smaller platforms in the middle of the pool. The bug-type took shape quickly, and he slipped into a crouch upon seeing the Dewgong, instantly realizing what was happening. Two scythelike arms lifted up as their owner's face pulled into a smirk.

* * *

"I'll start this off; Dewgong, use Surf!" The water-type responded immediately, rising out of the water slightly before crashing back down, kicking up a large wave that headed straight for Scyther. The mantis was ready, though, and he shot straight up just before the water could engulf him; Mark, who was standing just behind the bug-type, was also in the wave's path, but it had already started to crash down by the time it reached him, so he only had to step slightly to the left to avoid getting soaked.

As Mark turned his attention back to the air, Scyther began moving, launching himself at his seafaring foe with his blades at the ready. With a quick command from Daisy, the Dewgong launched a powerful burst of water from its mouth at its opponent; Scyther dodged it easily, though, weaving slightly to the left to let the Water Gun pass harmlessly by. As the mantis closed in, his arms crossed in front of him, and then swept outward in a scissoring motion.

The Sea Lion Pokemon dove down just before the X-Scissor crashed through the water it had just vacated, causing Scyther to frown slightly in irritation. The mantis rose into the air slightly, where it hovered in place, keeping watch over the pool beneath him. Mark then looked down into the pool; though the water was clear, Dewgong's movement through it was disturbing the surface slightly, making it difficult to pinpoint the Pokemon that hid there.

Scyther's head turned from side to side as he scanned the water he hovered over, his calculating eyes taking in the situation. Within moments, bursts of water broke through the surface of the pool, headed straight for the bug-type; Scyther was undaunted, though, as he effortlessly weaved from side to side to avoid the Water Gun attacks. After dodging several watery projectiles, the mantis started moving again, shooting toward one of the round platforms floating on the pool's surface and hastily landing on it.

Mark smirked as he caught on to his Pokemon's thinking; while standing on the platform, Dewgong would no longer be able to fire Water Guns at him from underwater and would have to return to the surface to attack. The trainer had no doubt that the bug-type would be able to make a counterattack once that happened; after all, if Scyther was anything, he was fast. Mark lightly placed a hand over the bruise he received the previous day while fighting the mantis to emphasize that fact to himself.

"Dewgong, use Dive!" With that command, the platform on which Scyther stood began to tip over as the water-type rammed it from underneath. The smirk that had been on Mark's face seemed to transfer to the mantis as he leapt upward, positioning himself horizontally just over the shifting ground beneath him with his back facing the water. The rising end of the platform passed just below Scyther as he twisted in midair, spinning to his left. His left arm swung around with the motion, skimming through the water before the back of his forearm slammed into the Dewgong, who was still floating where the platform had just been; the strike lifted the Sea Lion Pokemon clear of the water and sent it hurtling backward.

Scyther stopped his rotation just as his front faced the water again and shot in the direction of the seallike Pokemon, chasing after his still airborne opponent. The Dewgong was stunned by the blow that had just been dealt to it, but the creature shook it off quickly. As the water-type's elegant form tumbled gracelessly through the air, Daisy gave a new command as the mantis began to close in on it.

"Ice Beam, now!" A light blue glow emanated from the Dewgong's mouth as it fired the attack at its pursuer. Scyther was too quick, though, diving to the right as the attack went by. Though the Ice Beam failed to strike the mantis, it was successful in warding away his assault, and a small splash rang through the air as the Sea Lion Pokemon slipped back into the water unhindered.

As the Dewgong dove back under the surface of the water, Scyther returned to hovering over it. An annoyed look spread across the bug-type's features as he glared into the pool below him. Mark's eyes widened as he realized what Scyther was preparing himself to do, and he hurriedly shouted to his Pokemon.

"Don't go into the water, Scyther; that's exactly what they want!" The mantis jerked his head toward the trainer in surprise, apparently just remembering that the man was there. After a moment, the annoyed glare that dominated his features melted back into the calm, calculating look of before as he sharply nodded his head in agreement.

The short-lived peace was soon shattered as a new barrage of Water Gun attacks burst from the surface of the pool. Scyther began to once again speed from place to place to avoid the assault, when his eyes suddenly widened in realization. As the next liquid projectile shot up, the mantis made no effort to get out of the way; once the attack reached him, a bladed forearm shot forth to deflect the attack back at the water, eliciting a wave of ripples from the spot.

As more Water Gun attacks came, Scyther continued to deflect them back into the water. Mark couldn't help but wonder what his Pokemon was up to when he noticed a difference in Dewgong's assault; the Water Guns were coming up in an entirely random pattern, most of the projectiles missing the mantis entirely. As the trainer looked down into the pool, his eyes widened in understanding; the surface of the water was covered in ripples from the impacts the deflected attacks made in it. It would be nearly impossible for anything in such disturbed water to see anything above its surface; Daisy apparently came to the same conclusion, as she quickly issued new orders.

"Dewgong, come back up and use another Ice Beam!" The seallike Pokemon broke through the surface just to the left of Scyther as a light blue light built up in its mouth. The mantis had already begun moving, launching himself at his opponent with his blades at the ready once more. The burst of chilled energy didn't deter the bug-type this time, as he only shifted to the left as it burst forth, allowing it to come mere inches from his torso.

Scyther's arms glowed green as they swept down again, the light seemingly intensifying the ferocity in his eyes and his vicious smirk. The X-Scissor struck home, both blades hammering into the Dewgong, knocking him underwater with loud splash. Scyther hovered over the water for a few moments before an elegant white body bobbed back up the surface, motionless; the Gym Leader's Pokemon had been completely knocked out by the blow.

Scyther shot back up into the air, coming back down to land on the platform on which Mark stood before allowing the movement of his wings to finally stop. Dewgong vanished into a cloud of red light which quickly drew back into Daisy's pokeball. The Gym Leader gave an exasperated sigh before speaking; though it was loud enough for Mark to hear, it was clear she was mostly talking to herself.

"Losing is, like, totally lame." Finally allowing herself to perk back up, Daisy stepped from the platform she stood on to the edge of the pool, prompting Mark and Scyther to do the same. As the two trainers walked toward each other, the Gym Leader produced a small badge in the shape of a drop of water. As she did so, she addressed Mark in a voice that, while clearly sore from losing, was also respectful.

"Since you defeated me, I will now present you with the Cascadebadge." As Mark reached out for the tiny medallion, he was interrupted by a shout coming from behind him. As the trainer turned, he realized that the feminine voice that the yell came forth in seemed familiar.

"Not after a performance like that, you're not!"

* * *

Ooh, my first cliffhanger-like chapter ending. I know I'm jinxing myself by saying this, but I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can. 


	14. Round Two! The Pride of Cerulean!

Chapter 14 is up, even if it did take longer than I initially hoped. Thank you once again to everyone who reviewed, and I will do my best to keep up the quality of my work, and hopefully improve in the process.

Now that this part is out of the way, I can finally get to some of the more interesting storylines(more interesting in my opinion, anyway), so I'm pretty excited about it.

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**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 14: Round Two;**

**The Pride of Cerulean!**

At one end of a large pool, two figures stood in guarded stances. The duo had an air that seemed to combine excited anticipation and curiosity as they looked out toward the other end of the body of water. The more humanlike of the two looked out with calculating eyes at a shadow under the water that began to grow closer to the surface.

Mark immediately turned around to find the source of the firm declaration, and found a woman roughly his own age with shoulder length red hair near the entrance to the room. Her face bore a look of annoyance as she frowned at the Gym Leader he had just defeated. In a flash of realization, the trainer remembered his brief meeting with this same redhead in Viridian Forest. His thoughts were interrupted, though, as Daisy addressed the newcomer.

"Back so soon, Misty? I thought that you and Ash were supposed to be there when the new Competition Champion challenged the Elite Four." The newly identified redhead rolled her eyes as she gave an amused grin.

"As usual, Norra took him down before he could get to any of the other Elite Four members, so I got Ash's old Pidgeot to fly me back here." After letting the story sink in, Misty started speaking again, answering a question that Daisy had apparently just opened her mouth to ask. "Ash is still up there; there are still a few official matters he has to deal with before he can leave." With that explanation over, the annoyed expression returned to Misty's face as she addressed her sister again.

"Speaking of battles that ended too fast, what happened against this guy?" Silence seemed to dominate the room, and Daisy could only reply with a confused shrug. After rolling her eyes at the helpless gesture, the redhead turned her next question toward Mark.

"Where are you from?" The request wasn't harsh, but it was commanding, and the unexpectedness of it sent his mind racing for an acceptable answer.

"Oh, uh, I'm from Wi… I mean Pallet Town." Mark's face quickly turned into a scowl at the slip-up, having already decided that he preferred not to advertise his unique situation to everyone he met. Misty gave him an odd look at the answer, but it faded quickly as she spoke again.

"Well then, how about one more match against the Cerulean Gym? This time, I'll be your opponent." Mark's eyes widened slightly at the declaration; he had wondered what it would be like to battle a trainer as powerful as Misty was reputed to be, but with the challenge right in front of him, he could only wonder whether he was truly ready for it. He took in a calming breath and went back into thought; it was clear that the fiery woman wasn't about to let him go with the Cascadebadge unless he battled her, so he didn't seem to have much choice in the matter. His mind set, the trainer turned towards Scyther, who was still standing next to him.

"Alright, you ready for another battle?" The mantis turned towards the human with a blank stare on his face, as though he was just asked if the sky was blue; Mark gave a chuckle at the look and continued. "Right, right, stupid question." Looking to Misty once more, he gave an accepting nod; he was ready.

* * *

Mark once again found himself on a large platform on one end of a pool, facing down a Cerulean Gym Leader. Scyther's scarred green form stood at his side, clearly still eager to fight despite his recent battle. The redhead stood on the other side of the water, the distinct red and white shape of a pokeball already in hand.

"Alright, let's go!" As the Gym Leader gave her words of encouragement to whatever Pokemon she was going to battle with, she tossed the sphere into the water, releasing a burst of crimson light that promptly disappeared beneath the rippling water. The glow under the water's surface quickly vanished, only to be replaced with an ominous shadow. The silhouette grew larger and larger as the creature who was casting it drew closer to the surface.

With a splash, the water gave way to a wide, domelike head adorned with two large red orbs and a smaller one set between them. The head lifted over the water to reveal two eyes glaring from the shadowy area beneath it, and an array of thick, gray tentacles began to break through the pool's surface. After inspecting the water bound Pokemon for a moment, Mark turned his calculating gaze to his Pokedex, quickly discovering that it was a Tentacruel, a Pokemon that combined the elements of water and poison.

"Scyther, you're up." The bug-type was already moving, making a quick hop forward to land on the same platform he had started the last battle on. A thick tension settled over the Gym for a moment, as mantis stared down jellyfish and new trainer faced down seasoned Gym Leader. Misty made her move first, calling to her Pokemon, in a clear, confident voice.

"Tentacruel, use Constrict!" The multitude of tentacles that came from the Pokemon in question began moving, shooting forward to ensnare the opponent before them. Scyther shot from his perch with moments to spare, several appendages lashing sharply through the spot he had just vacated. The ropelike limbs continued to follow the mantis as he dove from side to side through the air; Scyther managed to keep out of the jellyfish's grasp, but only barely.

Misty took that moment to call out a Poison Sting attack, and Tentacruel was quick to oblige. A barrage of white needles sprayed from an area just below where the creature's eyes were visible, and the tentacles that were chasing Scyther drew back, making their way out of the attack's broad path. The thin spikes came in a wide spray clearly meant to ensure that the mantis wouldn't be able to dodge them.

Scyther seemed to anticipate the move, however, crossing his arms in front of himself and beginning to spin himself around. Within moments, the bug-type's form had vanished into a blur of green, just as the poisonous assault closed in. Every needle aimed at the mantis was knocked harmlessly away by the Swords Dance, and the Tentacruel quickly ended the obviously futile attack. Across the pool from Mark, Misty's face broke into a smirk as she gave a new command.

"Tentacruel, Constrict again." Just as Scyther's spinning began to slow to a stop, several of the water-type's appendages emerged from the water, quickly surrounding the bug-type. Having no time to dodge or defend against an attack coming from so many sides, Scyther was immediately caught, bound thoroughly enough that he couldn't move a limb. As the seconds rolled by, the mantis' eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth against the crushing pressure that the jellyfish was exerting on his body.

Mark could only watch helplessly as his Pokemon endured the Tentacruel's attack, his mind racing in an attempt to find a way out of the Constrict. Without warning, Scyther's eyes wrenched fully open, and jerked his right arm free of the tentacles that bound it. With a series of quick swipes of the newly freed limb, the bug-type forced himself free of the entanglement. The mantis wasted no time in going on the attack, racing forward through the air with his blades at the ready; a serious expression was etched on his face as he struck, both blades slashing at the water-type in an X-Scissor attack.

Though the strike sent the Tentacruel backwards, it was already preparing a counterattack; one of the creature's larger tentacles began to sweep toward Scyther as he began to return to his stance. The still airborne mantis caught sight of the incoming strike just in time, raising both arms to intercept it. Scyther was pushed backwards by the appendage, both of his forearms holding it back. The assault soon forced the bug-type downwards, and he barely managed to direct himself toward the small platform still bobbing near the center of the pool.

Scyther successfully landed on the platform upright, and the force that forced him down sent shockwaves throughout the pool on impact. As the water took its time in settling back down, the mantis continued to hold back the thick limb pressing on him, his arms shaking slightly from the effort. With a burst of movement, the bug-type swung his arms to the right, pushing the tentacle away and sending it crashing back into the water with a massive splash.

Scyther stood his ground for a few moments, his heavier than normal breaths giving away how much he had exerted in the battle. From his perch on one end of the pool, Mark marveled once again at Scyther's abilities. He held no illusions about the situation, as a Gym Leader as powerful as Misty should've been able to take down a rookie trainer like himself with little effort. Scyther, on the other hand, was capable of holding his own against the powerful water-type trainer. The trainer was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of a new command issued by the redhead.

"Supersonic, now!" The Tentacruel's domed head gave a short nod of understanding before a high-pitched wail pierced the air. Mark quickly clapped his hands to his ears as he turned toward his own Pokemon. Scyther was also making an attempt to shut out the noise, but the trainer noticed that the air between the mantis and the jellyfish seemed to distort somehow.

Mark turned toward his Pokedex again, searching for information that would help him understand what was happening. A few moments were enough for him to discover that the Supersonic attack that Tentacruel was using was meant to attack the inner ears of their target, disrupting their sense of balance. Gradually, the screeching sounds came to a halt, and Mark uncovered his ears.

Scyther still stood on the platform where he had been when the attack started, shaking his head roughly, attempting to simply brush it off and continue the battle. However, the shaking sent him off balance, and he just barely managed to stay upright; the mantis lurched about drunkenly, attempting to regain his footing. Scyther's face was dominated by a deep grimace as he stumbled about, apparently displeased at his body for not doing what he intended. The Gym Leader broke in again, her returning from a serious face into a smirk as she spoke to her Pokemon.

"Let's finish this; use Water Pulse." A fainter screeching noise similar to the one unleashed by the Supersonic erupted when Tentacruel letting loose with its attack; a powerful burst of water shot from the shadow beneath its eyes, and the air around the blast distorted from the sonic waves surrounding it. Scyther gracelessly hurled himself to the left just as the blast closed in, crashing against the platform where he had just been.

The mantis floated unsteadily just over the water as he stared down his opponent, occasionally having to visibly straighten his swaying form. After a moment, Scyther's scowling face gave way to a look of concentration as he moved back into a slightly shaky stance. Without warning, the bug-type shot forward, making a beeline toward jellyfish across from him; as Scyther began to close in, his arms crossed in front of himself and he began to spin in a drilllike motion, flashes of his blades lashing out at all sides.

However, the mantis couldn't hold the motion for long in his disoriented state, and he was sent sprawling helplessly through the air, his momentum keeping him on a collision course with Tentacruel. With a massive effort, Scyther managed to straighten himself so he could face down his opponent once more. The bug-type brought his blades to bear once more, prepared to lash at the water-type, when a new command from Misty rang out.

"Tentacruel, Poison Jab!" From out of seemingly nowhere, a tentacle glowing with a sickly purple light burst from the water beneath Scyther, crashing roughly into the bug-type's stomach. The poison-wreathed appendage continued to push the mantis backward, until it finally whipped downward, sending him hurtling directly into the small platform, crushing him into it with enough force to kick up a wave of water that obscured him from everyone watching.

The sheet of water quickly crashed back into the pool that it came from, revealing the battered form of Scyther lying on his back. The bug-type's eyes were narrowed as he slowly rolled himself back onto his front; he then lifted himself up on shaking legs as he turned toward Tentacruel once more. The tension built once more as the two Pokemon faced each other down, when Scyther's eyes rolled back and his armored body fell forward. With the clatter of exoskeleton against concrete, the match was over.

As Mark grimly recalled his fallen Pokemon, his mind was already racing, trying to determine how to proceed after such a loss. He knew without a doubt that he would have to challenge this Gym again, but whether he should do so before going on or whether he should come back at another time was a decision he wasn't sure of yet. His line of thought was broken when Misty called out to him, having already recalled her Tentacruel.

"Hey, you're the guy from the other world, right?" Mark's eyes widened in surprise as he turned towards the redhead, and managed a slight nod. The Gym Leader's question led to several more in Mark's mind, and it was all he could do to voice one of them.

"How did you know about me?" As the trainer made his inquiry, he turned toward Daisy for a moment to see her reaction. The slightly older Gym Leader had a lost look on her face as she clearly attempted to make sense of what her sister was talking about; however Misty knew, it was clear that Daisy wasn't in on it. The redhead apparently didn't have a problem answering the question, though.

"Professor Oak told Ash and I while we were at Indigo Plateau; he didn't give much of a description of you, but he figured that you would be showing up here soon. Not to mention the fact that you didn't give commands to your Pokemon once during our battle; you're the first trainer I've seen who seemed to intentionally do that." Mark scratched the back of his neck nervously, not quite sure whether to take the comment on his policies with Scyther as a compliment or not; he didn't have long to consider it though, as Misty spoke again.

"Daisy, go ahead and give him the badge." It was Mark's turn to look lost as he stepped off of the platform again. As the blond Gym Leader approached him, he managed to voice the biggest question in his head at that moment.

"Wait, why? I lost to you, didn't I?" The redhead broke into a grin as she made her way back to the side of the pool as well. She broke into chuckles for a moment before she finally answered.

"When I saw the end of your match with Daisy, I thought that you were one of those guys who would come here after defeating a different Pokemon League, thinking that we would be just another easy badge. Since it turns out that you're Mark, that's obviously not the case; however, I am a bit surprised that a Scyther that powerful is with a trainer of your experience. How did you catch him?" Mark looked down at the bug-type's pokeball, still clutched in his hand.

"He just decided to come with me; I still don't completely understand why." As Misty nodded in understanding, Daisy had come up to the trainer, and was holding out the Cascadebadge to him once more. Mark turned toward the redhead warily, only to find an encouraging grin coming from that direction. With a grateful smile of his own, the man picked up his second badge.

* * *

After a brief stop at the Pokemon Center to drop off Scyther's pokeball, Mark decided to take some time to explore the city before moving on. As the trainer walked from street to street, the sights made him wonder if the Gym's preference for water types influenced the city's decor, or if it was the other way around; throughout the metropolis, fountains, reflecting pools and small manmade ponds could be found around nearly every corner. Mark found himself impressed by the displays, deciding that the city's generous use of water was unique to both this world and his own.

As Mark continued on, he also thought back on his recent loss. He knew that he shouldn't think much of it, considering how prominent Misty was as a trainer, but he still couldn't help but think he had failed somehow. Scyther's reaction was also a source of concern for the trainer; he had never seen the mantis lose a fight since the day they met, and he could only guess at what might happen when the bug-type recovered.

The trainer eventually found himself inside the Cerulean Mall; the regional guide he carried informed him that the Mall that resided in Celadon City was much larger, but the building that he stood in was still remarkable in size. Mark started walking, prepared to restock his supplies, when he heard something familiar. He turned toward the voices and found a television in the window of a nearby shop; the trainer visibly cringed when he realized that the voice that he recognized was his own from his recent interview.

The Mark that appeared on the television screen was wearing the same clothes that he was wearing now; he had been relieved when the news crew informed him that was fine, as he didn't much else in the way of changes of clothes. Eevee was curled happily on his shoulder, and his other three Pokemon stood behind him, regarding the unfamiliar humans and their cameras with a combination of curiosity and caution. Judging from what was being said, Mark noted that the interview on the television was already past the few initial questions the reporter had about himself, as well as his relating of as much of his recent experiences as he felt was appropriate; the next words from the electronic box came from the reporter, who had just asked him another question.

"So, are you saying that the police did not arrive until the situation was already resolved?" Mark's television self, while clearly nervous about the situation, still managed to look annoyed at the gross misinterpretation of his story. The real Mark also frowned at the memory; it seemed reporters were always the same, no matter what universe he was in. The trainer's voice came from the television again, making only the faintest effort to hide his aggravation as he answered the question.

"No, I'm saying that the fact that they arrived when they did kept the situation from getting any worse." Mark decided stop viewing the television and start moving again at that point, not interested in watching himself any longer. The trainer made his way around the few people that were wandering through the mall at the time, searching for stores that would sell the supplies he was looking for.

An hour or so later, Mark exited the mall, his backpack newly replenished with food, pokeballs, and a few other items that he felt he couldn't leave without. However, the trainer left the Cerulean City Mall with more than a bag full of supplies; during his wandering through the mall, he had overheard a few people talking about an area east of Cerulean City that was a home for fairly tough Pokemon. Mark found himself eager to take a look, and he resolved to go there next as he made his way back to the Pokemon Center; he made a small whisper to himself, reinforcing the idea in his mind.

"Next stop: Rock Tunnel."


	15. Face from the Past! Scyther's Mission!

Wow, this one got out a lot faster than I expected, but I consider that a good thing. This is actually one of the storylines I had been planning for some time, and I'm actually kinda proud of how it turned out. I will reveal the backstories of all of the Pokemon Mark catches later on in the storyline, which will make complete sense of everything in this chapter. However, I think that I have enough hints in this chapter that you guys will be able to tell what's going on.

This is where the Teen rating kicks in, so be prepared for some blood.

Once again, thank you to all who reviewed, read, put on alert, etc. I continue to look forward to feedback from all of you.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 15: Face from the Past;**

**Scyther's Mission!**

In a large open area in the middle of a forest, a tall, green Pokemon stood in a fighting stance. Its eyes, burning with hatred, glared at a second figure that stood across the clearing. Branches in the treetops cast shadows over the two beings as they eyed each other, muscles tensing in anticipation of attacking.

Mark decided to leave Cerulean City the day after he had received his second badge, the Cascadebadge. Having decided to depart in the early afternoon, the trainer made sure that all of his newly purchased gear was in place before leaving the Pokemon Center he had spent the night at. The weather was clear and warm, allowing Mark to make his way down the road unhindered. It wasn't long before a large forest loomed in front of him, and he went a short way into it before releasing all of his Pokemon.

Pidgeotto, Poliwag, and Eevee were all as thrilled to see the man as ever, making excited sounds as they danced about. Scyther also seemed pleased at the fresh air, but was content with only flashing a small smile to Mark as he gave a nod of acknowledgement. Having decided to do some training, the human took a moment to calm his Pokemon down before starting to give them instructions.

All of a sudden, Scyther jerked in surprise; in an instant, his features had gone from a subdued excitement to an intensity of hatred that none of the other group members had ever seen before, and he turned toward the open forest with a snarl. After a tense moment, the mantis closed his eyes and gave what seemed to be a calming buzz. Scyther turned toward his trainer with his collected look back on his face and pointed one of his scythes into the woods as he gave a few explanatory buzzes; Mark didn't understand what the bug-type said exactly, but he could somehow guess at it.

"You have something that you need to do out there?" The mantis nodded, and Mark came to a sudden realization. As all of his Pokemon had come with him willingly, he had completely neglected the fact that all of his Pokemon most likely had lives of their own before they met him, and guilt overwhelmed him as he realized that all of that had been put on hold just so the trainer could use them in battle. After a moment to take a second look at the situation, Mark noted that the Pokemon really did want to be with him, so he decided that a drama-filled attempt to return them all to the wild wouldn't be necessary; however, he knew that if Scyther had a task he wanted to do, it wasn't the human's place to stop him. He had one more question to ask, though.

"You'll be back soon, right?" Not a moment of hesitation passed before the mantis gave a sharp nod. With a grateful smile, Mark slowly gave a permissive nod to his Pokemon, and Scyther grinned in appreciation as he leapt into the trees that surrounded them. As the bug-type vanished among the foliage, the trainer turned towards the other three Pokemon in the clearing.

"Okay everyone, let's get to work. Eevee, I expect you to do something this time around, okay?"

* * *

Rushes of air lightly rustled nearby leaves as Scyther jumped from branch to branch, his lithe green form making its way through the trees with barely a sound to reveal his passing. Though the sunlight was fairly bright that day, very little of it managed to reach through the treetops, causing splotchy shadows to be cast over every surface in sight. A scattering of bug and flying type Pokemon could be found in every direction, but all made it a point to stay well out of the mantis' path.

Having reached a rhythm as he kept going, Scyther had time to think back to his trainer. From the moment Mark first challenged him to a fight, he had no doubt that the man would recognize that Scyther had a mission he had to complete and allow him to do so. The mantis could also sense that while his trainer had no way of determining what exactly he would have to do, he would have understood had he known; that was a part of the reason why he had determined that Mark was the only human he could ever allow to be his trainer, after all.

Thinking of a more recent event, the bug recalled his most recent battle, the first one he had lost since before he left the very forest he was now traveling through. He knew that Mark was worried about what his reaction would be, and Scyther grinned slightly as he imagined the sympathy the human would have most likely shown him had he not caught the scent when he did. The mantis wasn't discouraged by the defeat at all, though; his experience was that when he loses a fight and lives to tell about it, he would have to make the most out of that kind of luck.

Quickly shaking himself out his recollections of the past, Scyther turned back to the task at hand. The smell he followed was becoming more and more distinct as he went on, making it clear he was going in the right direction. Trees continued to rush by as the bug leapt through the branches, eyes narrowed as he focused on closing in on his target.

The mantis stopped as he came to a clearing, and then silently inspected the expanse before him with all of his senses. The smell that led him to the spot was as strong as it would get; there was no question, 'he' was here. Scyther's keen eyes confirmed his assumption, as a glint of sunlight off of a hard brown shell drew his sight to the very creature he had come for. The loathing expression that was on his face earlier returned as he reacted, launching his green body headlong into the clearing with a yell.

* * *

"Hold it, Shredd!" The being, having been facing away from the mantis, turned around, revealing itself to be a Pokemon. Its insectlike form was larger than Scyther's, with two large, curved horns sprouting from its head. Scyther didn't need a Pokedex to know that the Pokemon he was looking at was a Pinsir. The newly identified Shredd looked blankly at Scyther for a few moments when his face lit up in recognition, and then broke out chuckling.

"Oh, it's you again. How have those old wounds of yours been doing?" As the stagbeetle spoke, he glanced meaningfully at a particularly large scar that went across the mantis' chest, as well as another than ran down the upper half of his left arm. Scyther snarled slightly at the implied boasting, but remained calm as he replied.

"You know, I don't see those cronies of yours; Hammer and Nail, I think. What happened to them?" The Pinsir's mouth formed into a sort of smirk as he made a face that gave the impression that he was reminiscing.

"Oh, them? I noticed that they didn't seem so intimidated by me anymore, so I had to take care of them. Can't really trust anyone unless they're too scared to do anything other than what I tell them, after all." The glint of hatred that burned in Scyther's eyes grew slightly at the statement as he snarled again.

"Killing your own comrades now, you honorless worm?" The mantis slid into a fighting stance, the blade that made up his forearms glinting wickedly in the sparse sunlight. He bared his teeth in fury as he continued in a cold voice. "This time, I'm taking you down." Pinsir moved into a fighting stance as well, crouching down so that his oversized horns faced his challenger; his mocking voice lashing out at the mantis.

"You lost to me twice already; how much could have changed since then?" Scyther's mouth twitched into a faint smirk at the question, but quickly returned to its enraged snarl as the mantis launched himself forward. Scyther's footfalls barely made a sound as he rushed across the clearing, his blades crossing in front of him as he closed in.

Instantly, the horns on Shredd's head spread out in a scissoring motion just as Scyther's arms began to lash out. The X-Scissor was effectively stopped, the mantis' blades brought to a halt by the spiky protrusions. Scyther pushed against the heavy formations, using the force to launch himself a few feet back.

The mantis went on the attack immediately upon landing, his right scythe coming around toward the stagbeetle's side. Shredd was ready, though, dipping his head down before swinging it back up, causing his horns to catch the limb and send it up and away. However, Scyther wasn't done, and he leaned his left side toward the Pinsir, swinging his left blade directly upwards toward the other bug-type; the stagbeetle quickly dodged the strike, stepping backward so that the Slash came just out of range.

As Scyther returned to his stance, he glared at his opponent once more, taking in the taunting, almost dismissive look Shredd gave him. At that instant, the bug's frustration overcame him, and he shot his right blade straight forward, directly between the Pinsir's eyes. The stagbeetle ducked under the stabbing attack, and Scyther's face was dominated by shock as the spiked horns closed in on his upper arm.

Refusing to wince as numerous sharp protrusions pierced into his arm, the mantis analyzed the situation. He knew that, in battle, Shredd liked to make his opponents suffer as much as possible. That meant that the beetle would allow the Vicegrip attack to close in on his arm as slowly as possible before finally ripping it off. It also meant that he still had time.

Taking as little time as he could to aim, the mantis shoved the blade of his left arm into the space between his right limb and one of the protrusions that held it. Scyther lifted his left foot up and pressed it into the stagbeetle's face as he began to persistently pull his arm out of its predicament. The bug's teeth ground together from the effort, when he finally fell backwards, his limb freed.

Scyther went into a backwards roll upon landing, smoothly returning to his feet. Shredd had also been pushed back by the force, and had taken a few wobbly steps backward before he could steady himself. The mantis made a quick glance at his arm, finding that, while the limb had been punctured in several places, the wounds weren't deep enough to leave scars; try as he might, Scyther couldn't decide whether to be relieved or disappointed at the observation.

Scyther launched himself at his opponent again, making another swing at the stagbeetle with his left arm; once more, Shredd's horns came around, deflecting the strike upwards. The mantis then stabbed his right arm straight forward at the Pinsir's abdomen; however, the stagbeetle's spindly arm came around, catching the side of the blade and sending it aside with surprising strength.

Having caught both of Scyther's arms, Shredd swung his head and his arm upward, hurling the mantis' form straight into the air. However, Scyther managed to quickly halt his ascent in midair, quickly turning around so that he plunged toward the Pinsir blade first. The stagbeetle's eyes widened in surprise as he threw himself backwards, just before the blade sliced through the area he just vacated and plunged into the ground; unnerved by the unexpected attack, Shredd couldn't help but voice his shock.

"You… you couldn't do anything like that before. You couldn't do anything while in the air." Scyther smirked as he lightly pulled his arm from where it had imbedded itself in the earth.

"I learned a few new things; I had to face you again, after all." With that, the mantis crossed his arms ahead of him and launched himself forward again, his arms uncrossing as he unleashed another X-Scissor attack, his face contorting into a scowl as it was blocked by the spiky protrusions once more. Shredd's face reflected that his shock had worn off, and his mocking grin returned as he spoke again.

"So, it was for that loudmouth friend of yours, then? Killing her didn't even take that much effort, why did you even bother with her?" With a snarl that came out as a noise resembling a chainsaw, Scyther rushed forward again.

"Shut up! You have no right to talk about her like that!" As the mantis closed in, he lowered his body closer to the ground as his blades began moving. The razorlike arms were too low for Shredd to be able to block with his horns, but his arms moved into place just before the attacks could land; the Slash attacks were quickly knocked aside, leaving Scyther with his arms spread. However, the mantis continued his assault, swinging his head forward and letting it crash mercilessly into the Pinsir's face, sending the stagbeetle stumbling backwards.

Taking advantage of Shredd being knocked off-balance, Scyther's blades crossed in front of him, then swung forward once more in an X-Scissor. At that moment, though, the stagbeetle regained his footing and ducked below the attack just before it could land. The Pinsir remained crouched, and a furious look dominated his face as an angry red glow began to surround him. Just before the mantis could return to his stance, Shredd charged forward, the crimson glow culminating in his left shoulder as it crashed into Scyther's midsection.

The Revenge attack sent Scyther hurtling backward until he crashed violently into a tree with a loud crack, sending shards of wood and bark in all directions. The injured bug-type slumped to the ground, gritting his teeth against the pain that flooded his body. The mantis looked up at his opponent, and flashed a smirk as he lifted his body from the ground.

_"You lost to me twice already; how much could have changed since then?"_

Scyther almost laughed as he remembered the question that Shredd asked just before their fight started. Even when the stagbeetle asked it, the mantis knew the answer, but now, it was even more obvious.

_"You'll be back soon, right?" The mantis gave a sharp nod of confirmation to Mark, not having waited even a moment to hesitate._

For the first time in a long while, the mantis had comrades. Not only that, but he made a promise to them, and had sworn that he would make it back to them. Breaking his word by not returning was a dishonor that he would not, could not, ever allow himself to commit.

Scyther had returned to his feet to face down Shredd, who was glaring at him in anger, and considered what he instinctively knew was going to be the last move. The Pinsir was too fast for him to strike with his normal attacks, and the mantis would tire out before he could wear down the stagbeetle with surprise hits like the Headbutt he just used. That left one option. Scyther was apprehensive about trying his new technique, considering he had not yet successfully used it in battle, but there was no other choice now.

The mantis crossed his arms in front of himself, and leapt into the air. As he shot forward at his opponent, the bug began to spin himself into a Swords Dance, and instantly focused all of the concentration he had into keeping his flight steady, despite the constant disorientation brought about by the barrel roll. As Scyther closed in, Shredd crouched into a defensive stance.

With Scyther's constant spinning motion allowing him to send out numerous attacks quickly, the Pinsir's defenses were quickly knocked aside, his head hammered upwards and his arms thrown to his sides. In little more than an instant, swipe after swipe were dealt by the glittering blades as they ran across the stagbeetle's body. As the volley of attacks ended, Scyther used the back of his blades to sling himself over the larger bug's form and landed lightly on the ground behind him.

Shredd crumpled bonelessly to the ground, crimson lines of blood running down his arms and legs. After a heavy thud that punctuated the stagbeetle's collision with the earth, silence filled the air, broken only by an occasional rustling of leaves or a small breeze. A slight shifting came from the fallen Pinsir, and his face bore a look of shock that bordered on panic.

"What happened? Why… why can't I move?" The mantis then turned around, breathing heavily from the effort he put into his last attack. His eyes still carried the hatred that had driven him throughout the battle, but the orbs were now cold, carrying no sympathy or mercy for his prone opponent. Scyther's voice addressed the stagbeetle, the emotionless sounds frightening enough to send chills through the Pinsir's body.

"I completely severed the muscles in all of your limbs; you'll never be able to move again." Shredd's body continued to shift, trying to find a way to do something, anything, with his now mostly useless body, and Scyther continued. "So much for that intimidation, eh? You won't be able frighten so much as a Magikarp as you are now. You see, I realized just now that you don't deserve the honor of dying in battle, so I decided that letting the Pokemon in this forest deal with you themselves is much more fitting. I know I'm not your only victim, so hopefully some of the others that you've terrorized will get a piece of you as well." In a clear panic, Shredd burst out in desperation.

"You can't leave me like this! I heard of the interview with that trainer of yours. You're a hero now, aren't you, helping him rescue Pokemon for little kids? A good guy wouldn't be able to leave even an enemy like this!" Scyther's face remained impassive, regarding the prone Pinsir that was begging to him; after a few moments, the mantis spoke coldly.

"I'm not a hero, and I don't consider myself a 'good guy'. I am a warrior, nothing more. I made it my mission to destroy you for your dishonorable actions, and now I have. Good bye." With that, Scyther turned away from the pleading stagbeetle, his cold demeanor unfaltering despite Shredd's increasingly louder and more frantic cries for help. Out of the corner of his eye, the departing mantis noticed several Pokemon of various shapes and sizes beginning to move into the clearing, closing in on the fallen Pinsir with anger written across their features.

* * *

The sun had already set when Scyther finally reunited with his team. Mark was still awake, though, and had greeted him with a combination of excitement and relief before treating his wounds. The other Pokemon were already asleep, and the human and the mantis wasted little time in joining them; Mark returned to his sleeping bag, and Scyther leaned against a tree, already feeling some of the pain of his recent battle beginning to fade.

After a while, Scyther's eyes slid open, carefully regarding an area where his instincts had registered something moving. The bug-type relaxed as he spotted the culprit, and a grin spread across his face. He had grown accustomed to the nightly interruption, after all.

A small, blue body had made its way into the largest open space that was still near the campsite. A black spiral on a white underbelly was plainly visible as the figure lifted itself on a tadpolelike tail. Poliwag then began to use her tail to raise and lower her body in a strange variation of a push-up.

After awhile of the push-ups, the tadpole then began to practice fighting moves, her tail lashing about in all directions as she danced across the clearing. With a single-minded determination, the water-type struck at the air, made blocks against imaginary attacks, and moved from place to place as if evading attacks or closing in on an enemy. Through it all, she managed to make a fairly small amount of noise, being quiet enough that only Scyther would have been woken up by it.

Scyther had seen Poliwag having a nighttime training session every night she was out of her pokeball ever since she was captured; while in Crescent Town, she had even snuck out of the hotel every night and had proceeded to train on the roof. The mantis noted the consistency in the moves she used as well; it was obvious she had been training in that manner well before she met Mark or himself. Scyther grinned to himself; he knew when he first saw her that there was something to the little water-type that wasn't obvious.

The bug-type then turned his head toward Mark's sleeping bag, which Eevee was currently slumbering outside of. Scyther couldn't hold back a scowl at the sight of the small fox. Whatever other traits the small Pokemon might have, he wouldn't ignore the fact that she just couldn't battle. He had let himself get close to someone who wasn't willing to fight before, and he wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

Turning away from the fox, Scyther moved his gaze upwards, toward a flying-type dozing in the branches above him. Pidgeotto was fairly unique in the bug's eyes, as he had never known a Pokemon in the Pidgey family to be aggressive in any way at all, much less being as competent a battler as the graceful bird was. The time when the two of them fended off an attack from a pair of Fearow stuck out in Scyther's mind as one of the few times he had ever guessed wrong about someone's fighting ability. He looked forward to seeing how powerful Pidgeotto would eventually become; it was obvious that she would make a formidable opponent, if she was only a little stronger.

Scyther berated himself for letting his mind wander; he was going to train tomorrow, and he couldn't do that without rest. Even though a large reason for the intense training he had undertaken was to defeat Shredd, he knew already that he wouldn't be satisfied with only the fighting ability he had. He was going to find new reasons to fight, and he had no doubt that he would find opponents that would put the Pinsir he just defeated to shame. Before that, though, he would have to become stronger. Scyther turned his head to the sky as he finally closed his eyes, feeling a peace settle over him for the first time since he could remember, and a faint buzz came forth, quiet enough that not even the training Poliwag caught it.

"I guess this is what they mean by starting a new chapter in life."


	16. Flawed Training? Proof of Determination!

Chapter 16 is now up; about time, right? Classes have really been a pain lately, and I decided to start playing World of Warcraft again, so that didn't really help my writing ethic. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who has continued to read and review my work, and I hope that my story continues to be worth reading.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 16: Flawed Training Strategy?**

**Proof of Determination!**

Within the shadowy interior of a thick forest, two small figures charged at each other, the sound of their footfalls ringing through the trees. Eyes that burned with resolve led one of the two forms, lending an even greater sense of power to its movements. The two bodies closed in on each other, and they each lashed outward, prepared to strike.

It had been a few days since Scyther had left the group to perform some unknown task, only to return the very same evening. Mark admittedly had no idea what that mission might have been, but he could judge from the wounds on the bug-type's arm and abdomen that an intense fight was involved. He was slightly annoyed at the fact that the mantis was apparently running off to start fights by himself, but, in the end, the man was glad to see his companion return safely.

After that day, though, there was a definite change in Scyther's behavior. He had stopped training alongside Mark and the rest of the Pokemon, instead going into a nearby part of the forest on his own whenever a training session started; the few times the human had asked the mantis about it, he was met by a reply that sounded both regretful and slightly frustrated. The trainer didn't know what had happened to the bug-type while he was gone, and he couldn't understand any of the replies that the Pokemon gave to him, so he had little choice but to hope that the situation resolved itself.

On the other hand, Scyther was also beginning to drop his seriousness while around the other Pokemon, and seemed genuinely friendly while speaking to them. Poliwag and Pidgeotto apparently enjoyed the more sociable version of their teammate, and they both spoke with him often. While the mantis still didn't seem to see eye-to-eye with Eevee, he would at least respond to her when she addressed him; not that that really happened often, as the warlike bug still tended to greatly intimidate the small fox.

Mark broke out of his thoughts of the recent past and returned to the present, where he was about to begin another training session with his Pokemon. Poliwag was standing at attention in front of her trainer, excitement dominating her features; Eevee was slouching next to the tadpole looking somewhat apprehensive. Scyther was already setting off into the trees again, but was suddenly stopped as Pidgeotto set herself in his path. Mark quietly turned toward the pair and watched with interest as a conversation began to unfold; it was the first time that any of the other Pokemon confronted Scyther about his unwillingness to train with the group, and he wanted to see how it turned out.

* * *

"Hey, Creepy, where are you going?" Scyther's mouth seemed to curl into a slight grin at Pidgeotto's nickname for him, but otherwise his face remained unchanged. The bird watched as the bug-type gave a small sigh while he apparently tried to collect his thoughts; she stood still for the few moments that it took for the mantis to decide on an answer.

"I'm going to train." The bird couldn't stop a burst of annoyance from flashing across her face for a moment at the unhelpful reply. She shook it off quickly, though, and continued with another question.

"You know that you can train with us, and that you would probably even get more out of it than going off to work out on your own. What are you really looking for?" Scyther bowed his head for a moment, the motion causing a shadow to enshroud his face from Pidgeotto; after a moment, though, he spoke up, apparently having decided to reveal the reality of his concerns.

"You remember… what I told you about Shredd, right?" The flying-type nodded slowly; she had noticed that the mantis had been unusually conversational over the past few days, and had even been willing to divulge a few stories of his past to his Pokemon teammates. With the reminder, the bird began inwardly seethe once more at a mental image of the murderous Pinsir that Scyther had told her about even as he went on with his explanation.

"When I left a few days ago, it was because I caught his trail again; considering I'm still here, I'm sure you can guess how it ended." Pidgeotto's eyes widened at the revelation; killing may have been a natural, almost everyday occurrence in the wild, and Shredd certainly deserved it, but it still felt odd knowing that her own teammate was capable of going that far against an opponent. Scyther didn't seem to notice the bird's reaction as he continued.

"My main reason for fighting up until now was to take him down, but… now I don't have that anymore. A warrior is nothing without a reason to fight, a motivation to get stronger. I have to find one again." The bug-type fell into silence once more as his speech ended, and Pidgeotto's brow furrowed in thought for a moment as she considered a response.

"Well, I fight for Mark. After everything that he's done for me, I'm going to take on anything he needs me to. Can't you just do the same?" Scyther immediately shook his head for a few moments before he responded.

"I respect him enough to follow him, but these human invented 'Pokemon Battles' just aren't much motivation to me. I know that he saved your life, but I don't owe him nearly that much." Pidgeotto's head drooped, clearly discouraged that her advice was of no help. Scyther started forward again, making his way around the bird's feathered form as he started into the trees; his voice came forth again as he strode away, this time in a softer, almost comforting tone.

"Relax Birdie; I just need to figure this out on my own. Besides, it's not like I'm really going anywhere." As the mantis stalked out of view, Pidgeotto turned towards the rest of her team. Mark fought off a brief look of discouragement and joined Poliwag in looking at her expectantly; the bird quickly shook off her own sense of defeat and set off into the air to join her trainer, just as he started to speak.

"Okay everyone, I'm going to try something a little different today. Eevee, I appreciate that you've been willing to start practicing your attacks over the past couple of days, but you're going to need some battle experience soon." The addressed fox seemed slightly distressed at the news, and seemed to shrink into herself somewhat; noticing the body language, Mark continued with a sigh.

"I told you I would be expecting this out of you before I agreed to capture you, didn't I? Besides, those Versum guys are still out there somewhere, and you really should be prepared to defend yourself as long as that's the case." Eevee didn't respond, keeping her head lowered to the ground, and the human frowned in annoyance.

To Pidgeotto's surprise, Mark's left leg suddenly swung out, coming around at the fox in a roundhouse kick. A shocked Eevee hastily leapt back, just avoiding the attack. As the trainer's leg returned to earth, his other leg shot out, coming straight for the Evolution Pokemon; Eevee evaded by scampering to her right, and Mark's outstretched leg set down just behind the small fox. From his new position, the human threw out another attack, this time a punch that came straight at the Pokemon's face. Eevee visibly froze as the fist closed in, her eyes squeezing shut in panic; no impact came, though, and the normal-type's eyes slowly reopened, finding her trainer standing before her, his arms crossed in front of him and with a smug grin on his face.

"See? You have it in you; you just need to put some effort into it, that's all." With that, he turned toward Pidgeotto and Poliwag and continued. "Pidgeotto, you work with Eevee for now; I'd like to train Poliwag again today."

With that, Pidgeotto wordlessly led Eevee to an area some distance away from Mark and Poliwag as she thought about the little fox. Ever since the little fox had joined the group, the bird had silently taken on the task of looking after her. Scyther made no effort in hiding the fact that he had a low opinion of the fox, and, while Poliwag was friendly enough to Eevee, the tadpole tended to be a little overzealous about training, which seemed to make the normal-type uncomfortable.

As Pidgeotto found a suitable spot to begin training, she looked at Eevee again. The small fox was trembling slightly, but seemed at least willing to finally make an effort. As the bird slowly lifted herself into the air by steady beats of her wings, she considered how she was going to approach the practice match, and quickly resolved to ease the fox into battling as smoothly as she could.

* * *

Mark watched a thrilled look dominate Poliwag's face as she faced him down. The two of them were already in fighting stances, each waiting only for the other to finally lose their patience and attack. All of a sudden, an almost ball-shaped bird Pokemon burst out of a nearby tree and flew off toward another part of the forest; the water-type apparently decided to take it as a signal to begin, and rushed toward her trainer, preparing to attack.

Poliwag closed the distance between the two quickly, and her wide tail swung heavily at Mark's left side; the human's left arm shot out quickly to intercept the attack, and a loud thud rang out as the two limbs connected. The water-type then leapt into the air, moving herself into a spin that sent her tail straight down towards her trainer's head. The man's right arm came up that time, catching the strike abruptly with another jarring impact.

With Poliwag still in mid-air, Mark went on the offensive, shooting his left fist straight toward the Pokemon. However, the tadpole was ready, using her tail to spring from the human's still-extended right arm. The water-type sent herself into another spin, and her tail quickly came around and roughly knocked the punch aside. As the trainer awkwardly moved back into a fighting stance, Poliwag dropped back to the ground unhindered.

As Mark faced down his Pokemon once more, he couldn't help but feel a wave of pride wash over him. With his help, Poliwag's fighting ability had improved dramatically since he and Scyther captured her; the new force behind her attacks were clear proof of that. However, the trainer couldn't help but feel that there was a little more to the tadpole's newfound power than what he had done. He quickly decided that going off to do extra training by herself seemed like something that the little water-type would do.

The trainer quickly ran out of time to think about such things however, as Poliwag lunged forward once more. Mark's arms shot in front of him to hold the Pokemon back as she crashed against them with a Body Slam. The water-type wasn't done yet, though, and her body spun around so that her tail came up before swinging straight down again; with both of the human's arms occupied, he could do nothing to stop the tadpole's tail from crashing onto the top of his head, jarring it forward violently.

Mark's right arm dropped down slightly as the hand attached to it tightened into a fist. With his teeth clenched tightly, the trainer's head shot up quickly to take in the airborne target before sending out an uppercut. With a quick burst of movement, a spray of water shot out of Poliwag's mouth, simultaneously slowing Mark's attack while sending the water-type flying backwards away from it.

A cloud of water droplets fell around Mark as Poliwag sailed backwards through the air from the force of her Water Gun attack. Eventually, the tadpole touched against the trunks of one of the many trees that surrounded the two, and she bounded off of the giant plant, using the force to launch herself toward her trainer once more. As she shot forward, the water-type turned toward her left and let loose another powerful burst of water, sending herself spinning once more.

Poliwag closed in on the human, her tail fully extended so that it lashed out with every rotation she made. From his position, Mark faced down the incoming Pokemon, preparing to make his move. Without warning, the trainer moved forward, his left arm swinging across his body in a blocking motion; Poliwag's tail was caught against the powerful limb with a jarring impact, and her spinning motion was stopped completely. Before the water-type could do anything, Mark's right fist came forward once more, colliding roughly with the tadpole and sending her hurtling backwards.

Just before Poliwag could crash into the waiting earth, Mark felt a movement just behind him. Instinctively, he shot back just before a teenaged boy rushed through the area he had vacated. As the trainer moved to face the other human before him, the newcomer turned to do the same. The clearly younger man's face bore a furious glare, and he wasted no time in voicing that anger.

"What do you think you're doing?! That's no way to treat Pokemon!" An incredulous look crossed Mark's face as he looked over the accusing teen. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, typical attire for a Pokemon trainer in the warm weather the area found itself in. A mop of brown hair sprouted from his head, and his slightly athletic form was crouched in front of Poliwag, separating her from Mark as he continued speaking.

"I don't know who you think you are, but I'm not going to stand by and let you hurt this Poliwag like tha…" The self-proclaimed savior's speech was cut short as a burst of water struck him in the back, the impact forcing his body forward slightly. The teen quickly spun around to inspect the area behind him, and found Poliwag standing there, an enraged expression on her features. While the younger man's face changed into a shocked look, Mark just managed to force himself to keep from chuckling; however, he couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice as he spoke.

"Hey, why do you look so surprised? You were the one who interrupted her training, after all." The younger trainer turned back toward Mark, his face still indignant, but slightly conflicted.

"It's… it's not right; this Poliwag is still young, she shouldn't be taking this kind of treatment from her own trainer." Mark sighed to himself in exasperation as the teen continued to stare him down. After a tense moment, the older trainer reached down toward his belt as he calmly spoke.

"Man, you're annoying. Look, in these parts we would settle something like this with a Pokemon battle, am I right?" The younger man was taken aback slightly as his features were overcome by confusion, but he slowly nodded a confirmation.

Mark sighed inwardly at the teen's reaction as he realized that he would have to watch what he said as long as he remained in this universe. It would be difficult for the people of this world to understand him if he kept using expressions that nobody knew about, after all. The trainer quickly shook back out of his thoughts and continued, this time turning to his still seething Pokemon.

"Alright Poliwag, you're up."

* * *

Poliwag responded to Mark instantly, bounding up to his side and turning to glare at the teen that stood before him. She was still enraged at the implication that she couldn't handle difficult training; the fact that she was willing to push herself as hard as she did was the only reason she was even capable of battling at all. However, the water-type knew that her own trainer wouldn't appreciate her hitting the loudmouth with anything more substantial than a spray of water, so she decided that she would have to settle with pounding whatever Pokemon he sent out into the ground.

"Fine, I don't want to have to hurt that Poliwag any more than she is, but maybe this will show her that she shouldn't stay with you. Tyrogue, I choose you!" The brown haired trainer tossed out a red and white sphere with his last words, and the burst of red light that burst forth condensed into a pinkish humanoid Pokemon that was a little taller than Poliwag. Red growths on his feet and hips gave the illusion than he was wearing shorts and shoes, and spikes sprouted from his head in a mohawk shape.

Poliwag heatedly faced down the fighting-type before her, having been infuriated still further by the loudmouth that was his trainer. Her small body trembled with zealous anticipation as her own trainer stood calmly behind her. She barely heard Mark as he spoke to his newfound opponent.

"Well, we're ready when you are." The teen wasted no time in starting the battle as he gave his first orders.

"Tyrogue, Tackle attack!" The small fighter wasted no time as he leapt forward, his feet pounding the ground as he rushed toward the water-type before him. Poliwag stayed in place as her eyes burned with resolve; in the back of her mind, she just caught Mark's voice as he gently gave his words of encouragement.

"Remember what I taught you; you can do this." The tadpole nodded slightly to herself as she did just that. She had known several strong Pokemon before she met Mark, and yet none of them ever trained anything like he did. The human had told her that he had come from a different world entirely, and his style of training was so unlike anything she had ever seen before she didn't have any trouble believing that.

As the Tyrogue closed in, Poliwag stepped gracefully to her left; as the fighting-type was about to pass by, she spun herself so that her tail swung down toward him. The humanoid Pokemon was quick, though, managing to stop himself so that he could turn and block the attack with an arm just in time. The two limbs met with a resounding thud, and the Tyrogue grit his teeth as he poured effort into holding back the water-type's attack.

After a few tense moments, the two Pokemon broke apart to face each other once more. Just managing to catch an order from Mark, Poliwag opened her mouth to let loose a spray of bubbles at her opponent. Tyrogue's arms came up as the projectiles closed in, and though the fighter was sent sliding backwards by the numerous impacts, he was otherwise unharmed. In the back of the tadpole's mind, she heard the loudmouth's voice again as he gave out another order; not bothering to listen to what he said, she kept her gaze on the Pokemon in front of her.

The Tyrogue dashed forward, making his way toward Poliwag as quickly as his legs could carry him. As the fighting-type closed in, the tadpole twisted herself around, allowing her tail to swing at the incoming body in a powerful uppercut. The humanoid Pokemon slid to a stop just in time, and the tail lashed harmlessly in front of him. The Tyrogue's arms then reached out, grabbing the airborne tail before Poliwag could return to her stance. With a pull from the fighter, the water-type was lifted from her feet; Tyrogue spun himself around a few times while swinging the tadpole's form by her tail, and then let go.

As Poliwag was tossed into the air, her thoughts went to her training with Mark once more. At one point, he had rhetorically asked her what the point was of throwing an opponent into the air in Pokemon battles, claiming that he didn't understand it. He had continued by explaining that most of the Pokemon he had met were perfectly capable of finding ways to land safely, rendering the maneuver pointless. The still airborne water-type grinned as she saw the reasoning to her trainer's words.

Poliwag turned herself so that she faced the ground, and then unleashed a steady stream of water towards it. As the Water Gun continued, the tadpole felt her descent slowing, and saw the earth coming up to meet her much more slowly then it had just been. Moments later, Poliwag set back down onto the ground unharmed, and turned back toward Tyrogue with a grin.

As the two trainers shot out new orders, their respective Pokemon launched themselves forward, their focus on the opponent before them. After a short charge, water-type collided with fighting-type in the middle of the clearing; Tyrogue's fist was buried in the tadpole's body in a Mach Punch attack, and Poliwag's tail was crushed against the humanoid's face in a Doubleslap. As the two battlers were focused on overpowering the other, Poliwag distinctly heard the confident voice of her trainer shoot forward.

"Poliwag, show him how we do a throw!" The water-type issued a slight grin of understanding as she prepared for what she was about to do. Suddenly, Poliwag's tail jerked downward, carrying Tyrogue's body with it and smashing his form into the ground beneath them. Gouts of dirt flew into the air as the fighter's body created an imprint from the attack that forced him into the earth.

* * *

As the exhausted tadpole slowly stepped back, Tyrogue's unconscious body was revealed, the side of his face heavily bruised from where Poliwag's tail struck it. The teen dashed forward, frantically making his way toward his fallen Pokemon. He lifted the fighter's light body from the crater it had found itself in, and shook it gently, calling to him in a soft voice.

"Tyrogue? Tyrogue, are you okay?" A shadow loomed over the young man as Mark came forward to stand next to him. The older trainer bent toward the pair, reaching a hand forward to press against a few points on the fighting-type's body. After a moment of consideration, Mark reached into his backpack and pulled out a Potion spray; a few sprays went onto the Pokemon's battered face, and several more went onto the numerous marks that lined his back where he was pressed into the ground. With that done, the trainer finally spoke.

"He'll be fine. I suggest you keep him in his pokeball until you find a Pokemon Center where he can get some real treatment, though." The younger man looked up, gaping at the trainer that had just helped his Pokemon. A shocked but quiet voice came forth as he spoke.

"You… helped my Tyrogue, even after everything I said to you…" Mark's face broke into a slight grin as he replied.

"Hey, it's no big deal. I suppose that my methods may look a little harsh to other people. I hope you realize that I wouldn't train my Pokemon like I do if I didn't truly think they could handle it. I can tell you right now that this Poliwag is something special." At the mention of her name, the water-type straightened herself and gave out a proud gurgling sound. The teen's mouth turned into an apologetic smile as he quietly recalled his Tyrogue and turned toward Mark once more.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted. By the way, my name is Phillip Barret." With that, the younger man stuck out his hand in a gesture that Mark found comfortingly familiar; the older trainer took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake, giving a warm smile as he did so. With the disagreement resolved, Phillip turned to walk away, giving a wave to Mark as he did so. The older trainer turned toward the teen one more time, giving both a wave of his own and a fond farewell.

"I hope we meet again!"


	17. Knowledge is Power? Return of Versum!

Hello, all; got a new chapter here. Yeah, it took awhile, but I like to think I'm not the worst writer out there regarding timeliness.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who has continued to stick around, and thank you to any and all new readers. This chapter doesn't have any fight scenes in it, unfortunately, so enjoy the plot and character development.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 17: Knowledge is Power?**

**Return of Versum!**

A deep, shadowy forest suddenly grew silent as two figures regarded each other with thinly veiled surprise. Both forms were tensed, one ready to bolt, and the other to strike. As the silence began to slowly pass, a sudden burst of movement broke the tension.

Mark's attention pulled away from Phillip Barret as the teen grew too far away to see, gone to find the next stop on his own journey. Though the trainer found the interruption annoying, he meant what he said when he told Phillip that he held no ill will towards the younger man for doing what he felt was right. Besides, Mark knew all too well that he needed experience in trainer battles anyway, having been involved in only a handful since leaving Pallet Town.

At that moment, Pidgeotto and Eevee made their way back to where their trainer stood, apparently having finished their training for the time being. Mark took a quick glance at the foxlike Pokemon; both her deep breathing and ruffled fur spoke of a vigorous practice, but she had no visible injuries. The trainer grinned inwardly, pleased with himself at his decision to choose Pidgeotto to train the normal-type.

It had immediately been clear that Scyther would be a poor choice to practice with the timid fox, and Poliwag tended to get overzealous in training from time to time. As for himself, Mark prided himself on having good control, but all of the training he had undertaken he had taken since entering this world had left him considerably stronger, and he wasn't sure he should trust himself with such a delicate task for the time being. He intended to get Eevee into fighting shape as soon as he could, but he still knew that getting too rough on her too quickly was more likely to make things worse than anything. However, Pidgeotto had also started with little in the way of fighting ability, and Mark felt that made the bird a better choice to work with Eevee than anyone else.

The trainer then turned to look at his Pokemon once more. Despite her disheveled state, Eevee seemed to have a slight air of pride about her, and Pidgeotto had a look of approval on her face that indicated that said pride was well-earned. Poliwag sauntered up to the group as well, still basking in her decisive victory against Tyrogue. The tadpole gurgled out a fervent greeting to the other two Pokemon as she approached, which Pidgeotto eagerly returned; an uncomfortable look crossed Eevee's face for a moment, but it faded into a slight smile after a few moments as she responded as well.

* * *

Try as she might, Eevee couldn't help but be surprised at the turns her life had taken since meeting Mark. Growing up as the fox did, she had come to hate the act, the sight, and even the very idea of fighting, seeing it as nothing more than destructive and senseless. All her life, she had come to avoid violence any way she could; that way of life may have been what led her to becoming lost in a dark cavern with no discernable way out, but she didn't regret it even then.

And then she met Mark. Eevee had no way of knowing much of anything about him then, but everything he did made the fox see him as the source of kindness and peace she had been looking for all her life, so that didn't matter. Even during the Zubat attack, she had been too frightened to really notice what was happening, leaving that tranquil image of the man untouched. When she finally left the darkness of Mt. Moon with Mark and gazed upon the light of the sun for the first time in a long time, she knew that she wanted to travel with a peaceful man like him.

Even when the trainer made his keenness for battling obvious, Eevee was undeterred from her decision to stay with him. She was informed early on that Mark was from another world completely; it was obvious to her that the man had simply taken on the human sport of 'Pokemon Battling' to blend in, and he would realize how barbaric the matches were soon enough. She knew that someone who could treat a Pokemon so kindly and someone who could enjoy fighting couldn't possibly be the same person.

As time went on, though, not only Mark surprised her, but the rest of his Pokemon as well. Even though the man and his Pokemon fought against each other almost daily, they always did so in a way that made it clear that they would never hurt each other, even while a storm of violence raged on between them. When the practice sessions ended, they treated each other with a friendliness and respect that Eevee found odd, as though the brief period where they were trying to beat each other senseless didn't even happen.

Though she had never been truly present during any battles Mark's group had against outside opponents, one of her new teammates, usually Pidgeotto, never failed to give her a full account of the incident. In the battle outside of Crescent Town, she had been paralyzed with fear during the brief period she was released, as the pure hostility reflected in the Pokemon's faces brought back memories she would just as soon have forgotten. Not only that, she had resolved herself to never resorting to violence to solve conflicts, and so she backed down, hoping that Mark would decide to find another way to deal with the situation.

It was sometime later that Poliwag had revealed to her that knocking out the controlled Pokemon was exactly what was needed to return them to normal and reunite them with their trainers. It was probably then that Eevee began to understand that fighting wasn't just about wanton destruction and carelessly inflicting as much pain as possible, even if she still couldn't see the appeal that it held for Mark and his Pokemon. Still, she resolved that she would overcome her fear of violence and learn to fight as well; though Mark wasn't the man of peace she thought he was at first, she had come to see that he and the rest of the group were friends to her, and she wanted to be the same to them.

* * *

After ensuring that his Pokemon didn't need any attention, Mark turned his focus toward packing up the campsite he had set up the night before. There wasn't much to it, only the rumpled sleeping bag, a burned out campfire, and a few minor remnants from the few meals they had eaten while at that spot. It wasn't long before virtually all traces of the trainer having been there were gone.

Just as the trainer was just finishing his work, a slight rustling sound from a cluster of nearby bushes caught the attention of the entire group. Mark lazily turned his eyes toward the noise, while Eevee and Pidgeotto faced it with caution and Poliwag with excitement. A green humanoid shape smoothly slid out of the foliage, and the familiar form of Scyther stood before them, worn somewhat from his harsh style of training, but otherwise fine. Mark finished slinging his backpack on before turning toward the bug-type with a grin.

"Well, we're heading out. You ready?" The mantis quickly forgot his fatigue, a grin appearing on his face as he gave a slight nod. With that, the trainer and four Pokemon set off on the road once more.

Even while walking through a thick forest with the massive canopies of numerous trees hanging overhead, it was easy to tell that the weather that day was excellent. The openings that managed to appear between the leafy boughs sent down bright shafts of sunlight that contrasted with the shadows that played over everything in sight. In addition, even in the constant shade of the forest, the temperature always seemed to be at a comfortable warmth.

Mark and his Pokemon strode along casually down the closest thing to a path available between the thick tree trunks. Poliwag was in front, happily making her way between various objects that caught her interest, taking a brief look at each one before moving on to the next. Pidgeotto was flying a distance overhead, just below the point where the branches grew too close together; her head darted from side to side, taking in the sights all around her. Mark walked somewhat behind with Eevee padding along directly beside him; for the most part, the human had engrossed himself in his Pokedex, though he looked up to take a look around every few minutes. Eevee gave curious glances at everything around her like Poliwag, but chose to stay next to her trainer rather than get as close as the water-type did. Scyther stalked just behind Mark, alternating between inspecting his blades and casting sharp glances at his surroundings.

The wild Pokemon the group came across were little different from those they had seen in previous forests; mostly birdlike Pokemon and bug-types, along with a smattering of creatures Mark would have simply referred to as 'rodents' before he had learned of the existence of Pokemon. A few of the wild Pokemon stopped to glance at the travelers, but most simply went about their business, clearly used to trainers and their Pokemon passing by. One of the birds managed to catch the human's attention, though: an almost ball-shaped bird Pokemon with large red eyes that Mark could have sworn he had seen before perched on a nearby branch. The trainer turned toward Poliwag and quickly called her to him; having gotten the water-type's attention, Mark quietly asked her the question that was bothering him.

"Hey, does that Pokemon up there look familiar to you, too?" Looking in the direction Mark discretely nodded his head toward, Poliwag immediately caught sight of the creature in question; the tadpole nodded an affirmative, having briefly noticed the bird during her battle with Mark earlier. Scyther had also turned toward the Pokemon, and a buzz from his direction seemed to indicate that he had seen it before as well.

Either the group was not quite subtle enough, or the creature was a little too observant, because the Pokemon apparently noticed that it had been discovered. Its large red eyes somehow managed to grow wider to convey its surprise, and it launched itself from the branch it was perched on, making it way deeper into the trees. Immediately realizing that something was amiss, Mark took off after the bird while yelling the smartest plan he could think of to his Pokemon.

"After it!" Since Scyther and Poliwag knew what they were chasing, they were able to stay alongside Mark during their pursuit, but Pidgeotto and Eevee had no choice but to follow behind the others. Quickly retrieving his Pokedex, Mark managed to discover that his quarry was, in fact, a Hoothoot, an owllike Pokemon with a particularly sharp mind, an attribute that sometimes enabled it to utilize psychic powers. The man's analysis was cut short, though, as he finally caught up to the flying-type.

The Hoothoot was no longer alone, though; another human was there, about the same height as Mark, but with less muscle. The owllike Pokemon was perched on his arm, apparently using its beak to enter information into a device that looked somewhat like a tablet computer; an image of Scyther was clearly visible on the screen, along with various bits of text that Mark couldn't make out from his distance. The man was dressed entirely in black, his clothes slightly worn from time spent in the wild, but not too much; his black hair drooped from his head in limp strings, and he seemed to have a shifty alertness to him, as though any out of place movement would be enough to make him bolt.

The man caught sight of Mark immediately, his eyes widening in shock and no small amount of worry. For a few moments, neither side did anything, both humans seemingly having trouble deciding how to proceed. Finally, a twitch from the black clothed stranger brought his hand down to a pokeball hanging from his belt. A somewhat weak, raspy voice issued from the man's mouth as the red and white sphere went into the air.

"Venonat, do it!" With a blaze of red light, a Pokemon only a little taller than Poliwag emerged. It was ball-shaped like the Hoothoot, and covered in a coarse purple hair; it stared out with distinctly buglike red compound eyes, and a pair of thin antennae sprouted from its head. With the command from its trainer, the bug began to shake its body about roughly, sending out small clouds of a yellow powder with each movement. Within moments, the particles had grown into a thick haze that separated the two humans completely.

Mark glanced at his Pokedex again, quickly discovering that the Venonat had used a Stun Spore attack, an ability that used toxic spores to temporarily cut off an opponent's control over their muscles, essentially rendering them paralyzed. Looking around, the trainer noted that his Pokemon seemed to have already guessed at the attack's nature, as not even Scyther seemed willing to venture into the hazardous cloud. The group had no choice but to wait until the dust settled to look for the man again, but he was already out of sight by the time that happened.

Mark looked off in the last direction that he had seen the stranger go for a few moments, and then slowly turned back toward the path he had been traversing before, idly beckoning his Pokemon to follow. He was certain that the man was with Versum, as his clothing was the same as the last two Versum agents that he encountered. Mark couldn't help but scowl as he made his way back to the path with his Pokemon; the crime syndicate was apparently following him now, and his ticket to finding out why just got away.

* * *

Scout #32 breathed heavily as he pressed himself against a tree as though attempting to disappear into it, his Hoothoot still clinging to his shoulder for dear life and his Venonat trying to hide itself next to him. He had never been much of a fighter, which was why he had been surprised when Versum allowed him to join, even if from the start he had intended on only being a scout. His Pokemon had been trained well in the art of gleaning as much information as possible from even the most mundane details of anything, but not so much in the art of fighting.

The man turned his attention to the tablet he still had gripped in the arm that wasn't holding up Hoothoot. He frowned slightly as he brought up the information that was recently entered into it; he had hoped to gather information on this 'Mark' character for at least one more day to be sure he had enough to satisfy the boss. Unfortunately, it would be too difficult to get close to them again now that he had been discovered, so what he had already would have to do.

The Versum member's frown slowly faded as he perused the information though, finding it to be sufficiently informative despite the interruption, and his hand idly reached up to scratch the top of Hoothoot's head approvingly. The small man's eyes widened as he went on; he had found that Mark only began his journey about two weeks ago, but according to Hoothoot's observations, his Pokemon were much more powerful than Pokemon belonging to such a new trainer should be. The Scyther in particular was exceptionally strong, even though it still wasn't much compared to what Versum had at its disposal; it could potentially pose a threat though, especially if the other Pokemon and Mark himself were backing it.

Satisfied with the information, the man went through the usual process of compiling it into a full report, then transmitting it to Versum headquarters; his assignment completed, the scout allowed himself to relax somewhat, his form drooping limply against the tree rather than pressing firmly against it as it did a moment ago. After putting his tablet into a small side pack, he lifted two pokeballs from his belt and recalled both Venonat and Hoothoot into them. Satisfied that he was ready for travel, Scout #32 set off toward the vehicle that brought him to where he was, a small motorized bike that Mark would have likened to a Moped had he seen it; as he started off with the barely audible hum of a quiet motor, he thought back to the events that led to him getting the mission.

_It started when Agent numbers 464 and 461, otherwise known as Butch and Rodent respectively, came back from a mission that they had received a few weeks ago; Scout #32 never really saw the nicknames as particularly inventive, but then, the circles those two were part of before joining Versum weren't exactly made up of intelligent men. At any rate, they were apparently supposed to test a new mind-control serum on Pokemon owned by the kids in some nowhere town to ensure that it worked on Pokemon that already had a trainer. Though they were successful, they were apparently forced to return early and without the Pokemon they had managed to capture, due to the interference of the police and some overly helpful Pokemon trainer._

_Normally, Scout #32 would have gone to great lengths to avoid talking to Butch and Rodent; they were the all-muscle, no-brains type, and the scout had enough dealings with their kind to last a lifetime. However, he had just received a reconnaissance mission on a nobody trainer, and he wanted to know why; though Versum had to 'deal' with idealistic trainers in the past, the higher-ups usually didn't bother unless the idiot interfered with enough operations to be considered a real nuisance. However, news of missions undertaken by low level agents tended to travel fast, and the scout had a suspicion that the trainer they had to deal with and the one he had to investigate were one and the same._

_Fortunately, Butch and Rodent were already surrounded with other grunts asking questions about their recent mission, so he was able to squeeze in an inquiry of his own without really having to get their attention. It seemed that the trainer they encountered was none other than 'The Wacko', the man that other scouts had discovered lived in the Pallet Town Lab for about a month. Those scouts had also found that the guy actually believed he was from another universe, which led to the nickname that most of the grunts had adopted for him._

_While the rest of the crowd surrounding Butch and Rodent had a good laugh, Scout #32 backed off to somewhere where he could think quietly. If The Wacko was really a trainer now, he couldn't possibly have been one for long, so he there was no way that he could be nearly strong enough to pose any kind of threat to Versum's plans, whatever they were. The man racked his brain trying to determine why the Boss would want information on a new trainer already, especially when he had only been encountered once; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure it out. Finally giving up, the scout went to gather supplies for his mission, already deciding that he would leave in the morning of the next day._

While Scout # 32 continued weaving his vehicle between the thick trees that filled the forest, his thoughts went back to the puzzle he tried to unravel only days earlier: why did the boss want information on this 'Mark' guy? His Pokemon may have been stronger than the scout had expected, but they still weren't much of a threat. Not only that, the fact that he still seemed to think that he was from another world made it unlikely that he would bother even trying to stop Versum's plans, anyway. The small man shook his head in frustration; he hated when a question came up that he couldn't answer, and not even the information he had uncovered about Mark was of any help in solving it.

* * *

Mark shook his head in frustration once again as he continued down the path; the only thing he hated more than not knowing why Versum was following him was the fact that a man who could have possibly given him information on that very subject managed to get away. As the trainer tried to will himself into a better mood, he looked around at his companions. His Pokemon were all in the same positions they had been before they had discovered the presence of the Hoothoot and its trainer, but they had since taken to conversing with one another rather than inspecting their surroundings. Scyther, Pidgeotto, and Poliwag were speaking to each other comfortably, but Eevee was slightly more withdrawn; she managed to squeak out a few contributions from time to time, but she mostly remained silent.

The trainer turned his head toward the sky; though leafy branches still obscured his view of the sky, he could tell that the sun had nearly reached the horizon and only an hour or so of daylight remained. Mark then looked about at his surroundings, finding a few wide clearing between the trees and no signs of anything that would cause problems overnight. The man's thoughts finally went back to the Versum member from earlier; that one had clearly been of no real threat, but he doubted that would be the case if any more were to appear. Making up his mind, Mark slung off his backpack and tossed it to the base of a nearby tree, where it landed with a resounding thud. The noise immediately caught the attention of the Pokemon, who all turned toward the human to determine what just happened and why; Mark wasted no time in stating his intentions.

"Okay everyone, let's get to training."


	18. Storm of Emotion! Eevee Unleashed!

Another long wait, unfortunately, but classes are now over for summer, so I now have a great deal more time to write in. Thanks again to everyone who has continued to read and review this fic, and thanks to Spyden for joining us.

Feel free to use any Pokemon Universe ideas I've used if you want, chances are I've unconsciously picked them up from somewhere else, anyway.

Chapter 18 here, and my first story arc is coming up soon. I'm fairly excited about it, so hopefully I'll be updating much more quickly.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 18: Storm of Emotion;**

**Eevee Unleashed!**

A pond in the middle of a field stood peacefully beneath a sky enshrouded by clouds. The calm scene was contrasted by an intensity radiating from a small creature standing near the pond. Fierce eyes stared out from the tiny figure as it faced down two forms that were standing before it intently, momentarily forgetting everything else around it.

The usual morning training session having just ended, Pidgeotto settled down on a fairly low tree branch, taking time to catch her breath before the group would set off once more. As the bird rested, her keen eyes searched out into the tangle of branches and similar growths that the group would be traveling through once they started moving again; they were nearing the edge of the forest, but it appeared that the growth would become far thicker before they reached it. The flying-type idly noted that she and rest of the Pokemon in the group would most likely have to be recalled to their pokeballs in order to continue.

With that observation made, Pidgeotto's thoughts turned inward. Scyther had become a small source of worry to her, as he still hadn't resolved whatever issues he had after his battle with Shredd. The mantis tended to avoid the subject ever since she had confronted him about it a couple days earlier, even when he was asked.

Pidgeotto recognized that, out of everyone in the group, she probably knew him the best. Though Eevee had become slightly more relaxed around the bug-type as of late, she still didn't go out of her way to talk to him often. Poliwag seemed to view the mantis as more of an idol than a comrade; whenever the water-type talked to the mantis, it seemed as though she was talking to Ho-oh instead. Finally, though Mark seemed to have an innate insight into Scyther's frame of mind that few others did, there was only so much he could actually learn about his Pokemon with the language barrier that existed between them.

With that realization, Pidgeotto felt responsible for helping her teammate get back to his old self again; however, there was the one small problem that she had no idea how to go about doing so. Over the past few days, she had racked her brain over and over again, only to come up with nothing. Eventually she had to acknowledge that no matter how well she thought she knew the bug-type, she didn't have the insight she needed to help him; she could only come to the same conclusion as her trainer, and trust Scyther to find his way on his own.

Eevee was another teammate Pidgeotto's thoughts went to fairly often. Fortunately, the fox had been adjusting well over the past few days, and was beginning to improve her abilities during the training sessions they had together. The only thing that Pidgeotto continued to be concerned about was that Eevee still had difficulty attacking aggressively. The normal-type was able to dodge the bird's attacks fairly well, and the fox was actually able to get a strike in from time to time, but the blows were always weak and halfhearted, as though Eevee was still making an effort to keep from hurting anyone.

Pidgeotto's thoughts were interrupted when Mark stepped to the front of the group, letting the Pokemon know that it was time to start moving again. The bird hopped onto a branch that was closer to the human's line of sight, then shifted her wings to a position for taking off in a gesture that let her trainer know that she was ready to continue. It wasn't long before her companions had also let Mark know in their own unique way that they were ready to do whatever he needed.

The group traveled in their usual order, with Poliwag at the front, Mark and Eevee in the middle, Scyther taking up the rear, and Pidgeotto herself hovering above. Their normal traveling routine didn't last long though, as the path quickly grew overgrown enough that getting through as a group would be difficult. Mark seemed to realize this instantly, turning to his Pokemon and quietly informing them that he was going to return them to their pokeballs. Pidgeotto waited quietly for her turn, and prepared to return to her previous thoughts while inside the sphere.

* * *

Mark turned back to the path after returning his Pokemon, picking his way through thick entanglement of thick tree trunks and overhanging vines. As near as he could tell, he was approaching the edge of the forest, and it likely wouldn't be long before he reached it if he moved quickly. After that, it would be about a day's walk to Rock Tunnel.

It was difficult for the trainer to notice much of his surroundings while busy trying to find ways through or around the thick growth, but he still managed to catch glimpses of the Pokemon nearby. A few Spinarak were squirming up a nearby tree, and a small pack of Rattata scampered through a small break in the growth. Mark froze for a moment when a Venonat came into view, then relaxed when it became clear that it hadn't been looking in his direction.

Just as Mark thought, it was only about an hour before the tangled mass of various plants finally gave way to a wide field. A thin blanket of clouds enshrouded the sky, but that didn't matter to the trainer, who was glad to have finally exited the increasingly confining space of the forest. Mark was just about to continue forward, when a slight clicking sound from his belt stopped him.

Already guessing what had happened, Mark simply leaned his head to the left, allowing the burst of red light that burst forth to alight on his shoulder in the familiar furred form of Eevee. In the back of the human's mind, he was slightly annoyed with the normal-type's habit, but he was able to brush those feelings aside easily enough. The man's right arm lifted up to scratch at the base of Eevee's neck as he continued moving.

It was a little while later, just as Mark was beginning to consider stopping for lunch, when the pair came across a pond. As the man had come to expect, the water was astonishingly clean, providing an uninterrupted view of the entangled plants that grew under the virtually undisturbed water. At first glance, there didn't seem to be any Pokemon in the water, but the reeds and other plants were thick enough that it could provide a potential hiding place for small ones.

When Mark and Eevee came closer to the pond, they caught sight of another human relaxing next to it. He was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a t-shirt, both of which showed numerous rips and holes. Despite the fact that outdoor living tended to do that to clothes, Mark suspected that the tears were deliberate, as many trainers seemed to do the same thing in order to project a 'rugged tough guy' image. Mark had seen more convincing acts while studying with Oak, but he had seen worse ones, too.

The teen lifted himself to a sitting position as Mark walked up, a cocky grin spread across his sharp features as he regarded the newcomers. The older man tensed defensively, forming an instant distrust of this new trainer despite himself. The teenager ran one of his hands through his tousled red hair as though brushing out loose grass before addressing Mark.

"So, you a trainer?" The older trainer simply nodded an affirmative before immediately turning back and crouching down to inspect the pond. The teen's smirk grew slightly wider as he gave a slight chuckle. Mark looked back briefly, one eyebrow raised slightly in an unspoken question. The younger trainer seemed to catch the silent inquiry, speaking up again in explanation.

"You seem like a pretty serious guy; it seems kinda strange that someone like you would even have an Eevee, much less be willing to show it off." Mark turned his head slightly to look at Eevee, who was still perched on his shoulder. The little fox looked decidedly uncomfortable, shifting her gaze everywhere except toward the two humans. Mark finally spoke up then, his low, quiet voice abruptly breaking his silence.

"Something wrong with an Eevee?" The teen chuckled again, almost derisively, before he spoke up again.

"Well, they're pretty weak, and they're more for the girls who think all Pokemon should be like stuffed toys. It'd be pretty hard to take a trainer who uses an Eevee to be taken seriously, if you ask me." Looking toward his Pokemon again, Mark found that Eevee had been visibly stunned by the remarks, her eyes having gone wide and her jaw set firmly. The other human noted the fox's reaction as well, pulling himself to his feet as he mocked again.

"What, your little fuzzball have a problem with what I said?" Mark lifted himself from his crouch as well, turning toward the younger trainer with a hard expression dominating his features.

"'We' have a problem, yes."

* * *

Eevee couldn't help but turn toward her trainer with surprise at those words. She knew that Mark cared about her at some level, but she had been little more than a bother the entire time she had traveled with him. By all rights, he should have been agreeing wholeheartedly with this new human, the fox thought. The normal-type was brought out of her thoughts as Mark spoke in a hushed voice, clearly a whisper meant only for her.

"This one's annoying isn't he? Well, do you think you're ready to battle here?" That was all that needed to be said for Eevee to throw herself in front of Mark to face down the cocky jerk that seemed to think she didn't belong with him. The normal-type had to admit, to herself if no one else, that she didn't really think that she was ready to get into a real fight just yet, but if she had to prove that she was a useful Pokemon to Mark, than she was going to do just that.

"So, you think you can take on Andrew Gaston with this stuffed toy of a Pokemon? Well, I guess I might as well go easy on you." Eevee could do little more than glower at the human across from her as he tossed a pokeball to the ground in front of her. The sphere burst open with a flash of red light, revealing a small, insectlike creature propped up by four segmented legs. Two arms reached out in front of Pokemon, both ending in a single claw; a particularly defining feature was the small array of mushrooms sprouting directly from the bug's back.

Eevee knew that the Pokemon before her was a Paras, a bug-type that had some plantlike abilities due to the mushrooms that grew on it. She didn't know the specifics of what they could do in battle, but a telltale beeping from behind her revealed that Mark was already looking through his Pokedex for information on that very subject. Letting out a deep breath to calm her growing anxiety, Eevee waited for the two trainers to begin.

"Alright Eevee, let's go! Quick Attack!" The normal-type responded quickly, albeit somewhat awkwardly, to the order as she leapt into a fierce dash toward the bug Pokemon crouched ahead of her. The Paras held its position as the fox raced toward it, clearly waiting for an order from its own trainer.

"Paras, give 'er a Scratch when she gets close!" Eevee's eyes widened as she saw the Paras lift a claw into position. Despite a momentary effort to stop, it was clear that her momentum would still carry her directly into the dual-type's attack. Not knowing what to do, she could only stare at the blow waiting for her when a voice rang out.

"Dive to the left; use Tail Whip when you pass by!" After giving a brief mental thanks to her trainer for the direction, Eevee veered slightly to her left as she closed in, then pressed her legs into the ground to send herself into a skid. While her momentum continued to carry the fox forward, she kept spinning in the same direction, sending her tail directly into the bug's face. The Paras was sent staggering backwards from the blow for a moment, but it recovered quickly, preparing itself to respond to another order.

"Poisonpowder, now!" A few of the mushrooms sprouting from the dual-type's back seemed to swell slightly, releasing a purplish cloud that flew in Eevee's direction. The fox took a step back in apprehension as she faced down the oncoming attack. Once again, Mark's voice told her what she needed to hear.

"Use Sand-attack, force the Poisonpowder away!" Eevee burst into action on the command, whipping her tail forward along the ground repeatedly. Waves of dirt, sand, and grass were hurled into the air by the continuous motions; as Eevee's assault met the one unleashed by the Paras, the venomous cloud dissipated as the rain of debris forced the particles that comprised it harmlessly to the ground. The fox continued her assault even after the Poisonpowder attack was repelled, throwing wave after wave of dirt and dust into a slowly growing haze between the two Pokemon.

"Eevee, use that sand cloud to get in close again and use Headbutt!" The normal-type leapt headlong into the fog of debris she had just created, rushing forward toward her opponent. As she promptly became unable to see anything around her, she could only press onward and hope for the best.

Without warning, the haze of sand blocking her vision fell away and the sight of a wide field filled her eyes. Turning her head from direction to direction in an attempt to find her target, she quickly caught sight of the Paras to her right. Without missing a beat, the fox immediately turned to charge at the dual-type, prepared to attack.

The insectoid Pokemon caught sight of Eevee just then, and reflexively lashed out with a claw. The improvised blow caught the normal-type in the side, sending her stumbling sideways before she managed to catch herself. The fog of sand next to the two Pokemon was just then starting to settle back to the ground, so Eevee knew that Mark wouldn't be able to see what was going on; the fox gulped as she frantically tried to decide what to do.

Settling on a sudden charge, Eevee launched herself forward in another Quick Attack. As she leapt, the Paras made an attempt to lift its claws to defend itself, but the fox was too close and too fast for that to matter. Eevee's furry body crashed into the Paras' plated one, and the insect was send tumbling away from the impact.

After the dual-type's impromptu flight slowed to a stop, the normal-type faced down her opponent as it slowly returned to its feet, when a chill suddenly went down her spine. Without warning, Eevee's legs gave out from under her, sending her now limp body to the ground; despite her attempts to get back up, her limbs would no longer respond to her mental pleas. She strained as hard as she could to get up and prove herself, to defend from the inevitable attack, anything, but all that she could manage was a deep shudder in her otherwise useless legs.

Eevee's mind raced as she suddenly came to every conclusion that she had been trying to avoid ever since she began training. She really was too weak to fight, no matter how hard she tried. She could never be the kind of Pokemon that Mark needed; she simply didn't have any skills to offer. Even as nice as Mark and his Pokemon were trying to be to her, she could only be a nuisance to them.

In the back of the fox's mind, she heard Andrew loudly call for a Leech Life attack. His Paras responded immediately, and the normal-type could only watch helplessly as the suddenly larger-seeming bug-type loomed closer and closer. Suddenly, as if in slow motion, a denim-covered leg ending in a black tennis shoe stomped down decisively in front of her, and a low voice rumbled forth.

"That's enough, this fight is over."

* * *

Mark wasn't able to see much of the fight for a few moments due to the sand cloud obscuring both participants, but he did manage to see Eevee's last attack against Paras. The human guessed that the fox didn't notice the yellowish spores that erupted from one of the mushrooms on the dual-type's back, most likely a Stun Spore released due to its Effect Spore ability. It was obvious that she was in no position to defend herself, and there was no way that he was going to let Eevee get attacked while she was helpless.

And so he stepped in, using one leg to bar the path between the normal-type and the dual-type. Not knowing what to make of the situation, the Paras stopped immediately, looking first to Mark and then to his own trainer in confusion. A tension seemed to fill the air, making the sudden silence seem even more uncomfortable.

After a few moments, Andrew recalled his Paras with a snide grin. One hand ran through his hair as the other returned the sphere to his belt, as if in some kind of victory pose. Andrew then turned toward Mark with a wider smirk, looking as though he was about to say something more; however, as he saw the older trainer's hard look while he stood protectively over his Pokemon, the teen seemed to think better of it, and simply turned to leave instead.

With the smug trainer gone, Mark turned his attention toward Eevee; with a brief examination, he noted that she clearly displayed the symptoms of Stun Spore poisoning that had been described to him by Nurse Joy and decided that his earlier guess as to what happened was correct. With that knowledge in hand, Mark looked into his backpack, quickly finding an Antidote sprayer he had stored in it. With a few sprays onto the fox, she began to move a bit once, the Antidote beginning to do its job of eradicating the Stun Spores.

After a minute, Eevee was able to pull herself back to her feet, albeit somewhat shakily. Her head immediately drooped downward, staring at the ground dejectedly. With a few quiet sniffles, the small fox suddenly began trudging away from the trainer, obviously not caring much where her feet were taking her.

Mark watched in confusion for a few moments as his Pokemon walked dismally away. As unlikely as it seemed, the trainer could only conclude that the normal-type was trying to leave the group, and the realization left his mind scrambling to figure out why. It took a bit of thought, but an idea soon came to him as to the reason for the fox's behavior. He recognized that Eevee was becoming a bit more confident recently, and was interacting with the rest of his Pokemon much more comfortably than before.

As Mark thought about it, he decided that Eevee's newfound proficiency at battling might well have been the cause, and if that was the case, a loss like this could have very well shattered that confidence completely. The trainer took a deep breath, both to gain voice for what he was about to say and to reassure himself; he wasn't sure if his next words were going to have the effect he hoped for, but it was the truth, and that was all he could think to say at that moment.

"You were weak when I found you, you know." Another depressed whimper answered his outburst, but the man held firm, determined to finish what he had to say.

"But that didn't stop us from taking you in, did it? It didn't make us want to be friends with you any less – not most of us, anyway." Eevee stopped her depressed journey then; she didn't turn around, but her unturned ears revealed that she was listening intently.

"And now you're willing to start training and even fighting to be more like the rest of us. You should know that fighting skills take time to build up; losing a fight this early isn't going to make any of us think any less of you, especially not me." The gloom that hung over the fox like a dark cloud seemed to fade somewhat, though the sobs seemed to keep coming.

"Fighting isn't all I think about where my Pokemon are concerned, at least not now. Even if you were ready to stay as weak as you were when we met you, the only way you'll be leaving this group is if that's what you really want. Is that what you want, to leave?"

Eevee finally turned around, her watery eyes contrasting with the joyous look spread over the rest of her face. The fox launched herself forward, racing toward Mark as tears trailed behind her. The trainer spread his arms in front of him as the Pokemon leapt forward, allowing her to hurl herself into an embrace. As Eevee continued to sob into his shirt, Mark looked down at her, allowing a warm smile to spread across his face as he realized that her tears were now happy ones.

"We're friends now, Eevee; don't forget that."


	19. Rock Tunnel Attack! Tadpoles Resolution!

Well, chapter 19 here. I was originally going to combine this with what's going to be the next chapter, but it was getting long and there was a good stopping point right there, so that's why I cut it off where I did. I'm a little uncertain about the storyline of these two chapters, but I got the idea and had to try it, so here they are; I'm just hoping they turn out okay.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 19: Rock Tunnel Attack;**

**A Tadpole's Resolution!**

Outside the rocky entrance to a deep cavern, a single form could be seen looking from side to side inquisitively. Suddenly, a deep rumbling could be heard behind the figure, which slowly turned to determine the source. The form's head steadily craned up to look toward the sky as a massive shadow cast itself over him.

Eevee, along with Mark and the rest of his Pokemon, stopped for lunch after the battle with Andrew Gaston. Though the small fox was still happy about Mark having expressed his confidence in her, she was still disheartened from her loss; she ate her lunch in silence, allowing Mark to tell the story of her battle to the other Pokemon without interruption. The three other Pokemon looked toward her with some concern at the end, but stopped once they realized that her injuries had already been seen to; surprisingly enough, the others actually looked proud of her, despite her loss.

Once lunch was eaten, Mark decided to immediately set off once more, and the Pokemon quickly returned to their usual traveling order. After a few moments of walking, Eevee moved forward from her position, making her way toward Poliwag, who was busying herself inspecting an odd-looking flower. The tadpole turned around quickly as the fox closed in, and her face was overtaken by an enthusiastic grin as she realized who had come into view.

"Eevee, what's up?" Not knowing what kind of answer to give to the water-type's greeting, the fox gave a noncommittal shrug, which Poliwag took as a sign to continue. "Ya' know, ya' haven't said much about that fight you were in earlier; come on, how about giving a piece of the story from your end?" Ignoring the tadpole's attempt at a disarming grin, Eevee turned her gaze downward as she slowly gave her reply.

"It wasn't much, really. Mark managed to keep me from looking like a complete idiot for a while. Then, I had to try something on my own and walked right into a cloud of Stun Spores." Poliwag's face briefly faded into a sympathetic look, and then turned back into a more subdued smirk as she turned her gaze back toward the path; the water-type gave a brief chuckle before speaking again.

"I should say something about your attitude, but I suppose I had the exact same reaction the first time I lost a match for Mark." Eevee was immediately shaken out of her gloom, and stared at Poliwag with wide eyes. The image of the crater left by the tadpole's fight with a Tyrogue only days earlier leapt to the front of the fox's mind as she blurted out a response in shock.

"You, lose? No way!" Poliwag laughed again, a long, hearty guffaw that made Mark look up from his Pokedex for a moment.

"Oh, I have quite a ways to go, believe me. Heck, you should have seen me when I first started fighting; I don't even like talking about it anymore, it's so embarrassing." Eevee gave a slight grin as she turned her head back downward, this time more out of habit than dejection.

"Well, all I can really do as I am now are physical attacks, and the rest of you are all far better at those than I'll ever be." Poliwag flashed the fox a confident smirk as she replied.

"Hey, Mark's specialty is physical attacks, remember? He even managed to teach me a water-based physical move recently, and I didn't even know there were any! He'll get ya' in fighting form in no time." Eevee seemed satisfied by the reply, and gave the tadpole a heartfelt thanks, which Poliwag waved off with a few smooth motions of her tail.

"Hey, it was nothing; if you need my help with anything, you just lemme know, okay?" Eevee nodded her agreement, but the water-type had already begun charging forward moments earlier. "Hey, is that a Sudowoodo?"

* * *

The next day, Mark was continuing on his way to Rock Tunnel, his Pokemon safely in their pokeballs for the time being. The sky was clear once more, allowing the sun to shine brightly over the field he was passing through. The grass was surprisingly short for being miles away from any human who would regularly cut it, but the trainer decided not to think much of that oddity.

Mark's thoughts turned toward Eevee as he continued on. The only thing that surprised him more than what he told the fox the previous day was that every word of it was true. He felt closer to his Pokemon than ever, much closer than he had ever expected to become; he briefly considered what that might mean when he did manage to find a way home, but quickly set those thoughts aside.

Considering Eevee once more, Mark thought about how her mood had improved over the past day. Though the speech he had given had cheered her up, she still seemed discouraged afterwards. He definitely hadn't expected a conversation with Poliwag to be what the fox needed to cheer up, but it seemed that the tadpole managed to tell Eevee just what she needed to hear, right before the water-type was apparently distracted by a log that had been propped upright somehow.

The two Pokemon even asked to train together that night, which the human had no trouble agreeing to. He had half expected Poliwag's overzealous training style to overwhelm Eevee, but the pair surprised him; Poliwag managed to slow herself down somewhat so the fox could keep up with her, and Eevee herself seemed to work harder than ever before. Mark had taken the opportunity to train with Pidgeotto for the first time in awhile, noting with satisfaction that the bird's speed was steadily improving as well.

Scyther still had yet to do any fighting or training alongside the rest of the group, but subtle differences in his regular movements seemed to suggest that his abilities were improving as well. Of course, considering how the mantis always looked when he came back from training, it was obvious that he was working himself hard. Mark idly hoped that the bug-type would start working with the group again soon.

The trainer then noticed that the grass he had been walking on had stopped, and there was only rocky ground beneath his feet. Realizing that the entrance to Rock Tunnel was likely to be nearby, Mark began scanning his surroundings more carefully in an effort to find it. For a time, the only sounds that rang out in the empty space were the man's footsteps crunching on the earth.

Though it took some time, Mark finally managed to come across the cavernous opening without incident. The entrance that he found led into a massive hill like rock formation that extended to far above the human's head; the opening itself was also immense, enough so that several people would have no problem walking into it at the same time.

The trainer stopped his inspection as he suddenly felt a slight chill as the darkness of a vast shadow cast itself over his body. Mark slowly turned around to face a column of stones that had not been there moments ago; as his head gradually craned upward to assess the formation, the man idly noted that it was one of the most oddly piled stack of rocks he had ever seen. As the top of the heap finally came into view, Mark's eyes widened as he realized that he wasn't looking at a rock formation at all.

Upon seeing the massive stone head crowned with a backswept rocky spike, it became clear the newcomer was an Onix, though its body seemed to be a darker shade of gray than the one he had seen in Forrest's gym. The rock-type's jaw was clenched shut, and its eyes glared from their stony sockets. A deep rumbling filled the air, and the aggressive tone in the sound was unmistakable.

Mark took a step backward away from the creature in spite of himself, though he kept a careful watch on what the stone serpent was doing. The Onix held its position, not bothering to either close in or move away, and seemed content to simply glare at the trainer for the time being. As Mark continued to observe the rock-type, he found himself wondering about its behavior; before now, the Pokemon that had no problems with his presence left him alone, and those that did simply attacked him outright. There was also the fact that Onix were typically not territorial, considering how often they shared living space with other rock-type Pokemon, so the behavior he was seeing was completely out of place for them.

Suddenly, the Onix lurched forward to thrust its head at the human, opening its jaws and ramming them shut again with the ominous crack of stone on stone. Mark retreated a few more steps at the intimidating display, but the rock-type stopped before it came any closer to the trainer, and then slowly straightened itself back into its original position. Having run out of patience, the trainer yanked a pokeball from his belt and pressed the button on it, releasing its contents in a burst of red light.

"Poliwag, let's go!" Mark almost instinctively knew that, even as powerful as the water-type had become under his tutelage, her loss against Forrest's rock-type Graveler continued to bother her. Since he didn't intend to go back to Pewter City anytime soon just to give the water-type a chance at a rematch, a battle against another powerful rock-type seemed like the next best thing.

Sure enough, the moment Poliwag laid her eyes upon the towering stone serpent, her usual determined look was replaced with a grim seriousness as she stared down her new opponent. The water-type matched the rock-type's rumbling with an aggressive gurgling of her own as she crouched, preparing herself to attack. Suddenly the Onix, apparently realizing that the human before it had decided to fight, lunged forward with its stony jaws held wide.

"Poliwag, dive to the side and give him a quick Water Gun!" Mark quickly hurled himself to his left to stay out of the path of the massive Pokemon's Tackle attack, and his Pokemon did the same. The moment Poliwag had returned to a stable position, a powerful burst of water shot from her mouth. As the Onix was still moving forward, its own momentum magnified the impact of the water blast against its face, giving the blow enough power to knock the rock-type sideways.

After a brief moment, the stone serpent turned back to face down Mark and Poliwag, opening its jaws wide to give a powerful roar as it did so. Faint clattering rang out from all directions as the vibrations from the thunderous noise caused nearby pebbles and rocks to rattle about. The trainer and his Pokemon held their ground in spite of the menacing display, and Mark spoke to Poliwag as the Onix started forward again.

"Okay, I think you know what to do." The towering rock-type lifted its head into the air briefly before bringing it plunging groundward again, leaving Poliwag just enough time to throw herself to the side before the massive boulder of a head crashed down where she had just been. Only moments after the Slam attack, the Onix was moving again, this time moving its head sideways along the ground in another attempt to hit the tadpole.

The water-type was still faster, though, managing to leap above the rocky skull before it could ram into her. While still in midair, Poliwag unleashed another Water Gun straight down at the rock serpent. Her aim was true once more, the force of the attack sending the Onix's head crashing into the rocky ground again, sending bits of rock in all directions.

As Poliwag came back down, she landed lightly on the gravel earth and waited for the rock-type's next move. It took a few moments, but the Onix lifted its head from the crater the water-type attack had left it in and turned to stare down the tadpole again. After a tense moment, Mark quickly shouted out to his Pokemon in alarm.

"Behind you!" The warning came too late; with Poliwag focusing on the rock-type's head, she failed to notice its tail coming around from behind. The stony appendage rammed into the water-type full force, sending the smaller Pokemon hurtling away. Poliwag tumbled across the rocky ground, dull thuds ringing out every time her body bounced off it, and it soon became clear that her path was leading her directly toward a large rock formation reaching out of the ground.

Just as Poliwag was about to collide with the rocky outcropping, a powerful Water Gun erupted from her mouth, sending her body into the air and away from the obstacle. Using her time in the air to right herself, the water-type landed a few moments later facing the Onix once more. Poliwag's body was already bruising in several places from Onix's attack and she was breathing heavily, but she looked as determined as ever, pinning the rock snake with a glare that made it clear that she wasn't going to back down.

"Alright Poliwag, let's show him our new trick. Waterfall, now!" Though Poliwag had been willing to use her special attacks like Water Gun when she had to, Mark knew that the tadpole seemed to prefer hand-to-hand fighting, so to speak. When the trainer discovered a move she could use that would allow her to use her abilities as a water-type in a physical attack, Poliwag jumped at the chance to learn it. Though the Pokemon had yet to use the move in an actual fight, it was likely her best chance of winning at this point.

Poliwag charged forward at the order, her small body racing towards her opponent as fast as her legs could carry it. The tadpole leapt headfirst at the towering Onix, all the while enshrouding the front of her body in water. The rock-type tried to move out of the way of the assault, but it was simply too big to get completely out of the way in time.

The resounding crashing of water on rock sounded from where Poliwag crashed into the Onix. The combination of the water's impact and the tadpole's considerable strength sent the stone serpent toppling to the ground. The rock-type slammed into the earth with a loud crash, sending up dust and fragments of rock in all directions.

Mark looked at the downed Pokemon in curiosity. Though the Onix didn't seem to want him in the area, it had also been reluctant to attack until he made it clear he was also prepared to go on the attack. Deciding to act on an instinct, Mark pulled out an empty pokeball and tossed it at the prone rock-type; lacking the energy to fight back, the Onix was easily pulled into the sphere in a flash of red light, and it was only a few moments more before the ball lay still.

As the trainer slowly walked toward the newly occupied pokeball, he turned to look at Poliwag. The water-type was clearly exhausted, considering her heavy breathing and drooping posture; she was staring at the spot where the Onix had been lying moments earlier with a look of shock. After a few moments, the surprise gave way to a triumphant grin, and Poliwag straightened herself as the victory apparently sunk in.

"Great fight, Poliwag. I'm gonna have to recall you for now, though; I want to check something." After the Pokemon's small form was returned to its sphere, Mark lifted the pokeball containing his newest capture and pressed the button on it. As the usual red light issued from the ball, it soon began to stretch higher and higher into the air.

Eventually, the light managed to assume the form of Onix at full height. With the fight seemingly beaten out of him during his battle with Poliwag, he apparently decided to adopt a distrustful look rather than his previous threatening one. It also didn't take long for him to lower his upper body to the ground to avoid having to hold up its obviously impressive weight, allowing his somewhat battered head to rest on the rocky earth.

"Okay, judging from how you were acting like you just wanted to get me to leave without having to attack, I'd guess something unusual was going on. Is there something happening here?" The Onix's stony features seemed to give off an air of both surprise and regret as he slowly lifted his massive head in a nod. He then turned toward the entrance of the cave, giving a slight motion indicating to the human that he should follow.

Mark brought out his lantern as he followed the stone serpent into the dark enshrouded expanse. After a minute or so of walking, the trainer began to notice several rock-type Pokemon scattered throughout the cave, mostly Geodudes, but there were a few other Onix, though much smaller and lighter in color than the one he was following. The creatures seemed unsettled with their surroundings, as though they weren't used to the area they were living in.

The human and the Onix continued their trek for a few minutes longer, when they came across a tunnel entrance recessed into the wall of the cave; the tunnel was fairly small and clearly not often used. The passageway would have been just big enough for Mark and the Onix to walk side by side, but it was a tight enough fit that the trainer was content to follow behind the stone serpent. All of a sudden, the tunnel opened up again to another immense cavern, and Mark's eyes widened in shock at what he found inside it.

The cave was filled with numerous trash bags, all packed to overflowing with refuse. Suddenly, Mark could almost feel a physical impact as the rancid stench of the garbage hit him, causing him to take a few involuntary steps backwards. It was suddenly obvious why there were so many disoriented Pokemon were in the section of cave he had just passed through; they had all lived here before the space was taken over by filth he was now looking at.

Though the sheer volume of garbage before Mark was shocking, the trainer realized that he was mostly surprised because he had become used to never seeing trash just lying around from his time spend in this world. Littering in any form was highly frowned upon by the Pokemon League, and considering the scale it was on here, it was obvious they weren't aware of it yet. Whoever was responsible had to have been fairly confident that they wouldn't be caught, as the penalty would undoubtedly be incredibly severe if they were.

Mark walked toward the heap of garbage and inspected what visible bits of it he could identify. He found several newspapers, some leaflets, and a few signs that were all from a place called "Bolt City", which his Pokedex indicated was less than a day walk away from where he was. Mark then walked up to the massive stone serpent, who had been looking at him expectantly; the human then gave a confident smirk.

"I think I know where we need to go to deal with this."


	20. Stone's Soft Spot! Official Business!

Well, here's Chapter 20. Another lack of action, but the oncoming chapters will make up for that.

For those who haven't seen it, I have written a One-Shot based on the MaNS universe, featuring a character who doesn't really appear in the actual story, as well as one of my original Elite Four members. For those of you who want to see it, check out 'Rising Mettle' in my profile.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 20: A Stone's Soft Spot;**

**Off to Official Business!**

It was a clear day over a grassy field, the sun shining down warmly enough to be soothing, but not enough so as to be uncomfortable. The single trail spanning the plain was occupied by a solitary man, walking the path with purpose in his face. Eventually the man's eyes fell upon a sprawling city, and his pace quickened with a bolstered resolve.

Mark eventually pulled himself from the outrageous sight of the garbage filled cavern, allowing Onix to lead him back out of Rock Tunnel. As the other rock Pokemon occupying the cave came back into view, their disorientation seemed even more pronounced now that Mark knew the reason for it. All the trainer could think of was how to go about solving the problem as the light of the outside came into view.

As Mark stepped back into the open air, he pulled out Poliwag's pokeball and pressed the button that deposited her form onto the ground. The little water-type immediately went into a crouch upon seeing Onix, but slowly straightened as she realized that her trainer and the massive Pokemon seemed comfortable in each other's company. The tadpole gave Mark a questioning look as he bent down toward her; the human's response came easily as he withdrew a Potion spray from his pack.

"The fight was… a misunderstanding. It looks like Onix is going to be traveling with us for now." With the explanation out of the way, Mark applied the Potion to the bruises along Poliwag's side that came from her fight with the stone snake. The trainer then motioned for Onix to lower his head, and then sprayed the potion onto the places on the massive boulderlike skull that had also been damaged during the battle; though Mark couldn't understand how it was possible, the rock-type's wounds healed as easily as Poliwag's had, the scratches and dents quickly filling in with new deposits of minerals.

With the two Pokemon healed, Mark pulled out his remaining pokeballs, releasing his other companions into the clearing. Scyther and Pidgeotto seemed to immediately sense the Onix's lack of aggression, not so much as batting an eye at the larger Pokemon's presence; Eevee was startled at the sight of the behemoth though, rushing to press herself against Mark's leg before she also realized the immense stone snake meant no harm. The trainer inspected the array of Pokemon before him with a slow sweep of his eyes before speaking.

"Well guys, this Onix is going to be traveling with us for now, so let's make him feel welcome." The Pokemon apparently had no problems doing so, all of them engaging the rock-type in conversation while the group ate lunch. With Mark having promised his assistance in helping stop the dumping of garbage in Rock Tunnel, the Onix was much more relaxed than he had been at first, and he seemed to relate to each one of Mark's Pokemon fairly well.

Lunch ended without major incident, and the group moved to continue onward. Mark and his Pokemon were in their usual positions, and Onix slithered along their right side, his head next to the leading Poliwag and his tail extending all the way to where Scyther took up the rear. Mark took a look at each of his Pokemon as they began moving, finding that all of them accepted the arrangement well enough.

After a little less than an hour, the rocky ground the group had been treading on gave way to a grassy field. Several Pokemon dotted the area, mostly purple, mouselike Rattata and brown feathered Pidgey, but there were a few other species noticeable in the long grass. At a few points during the walk, Mark spotted what looked like patches of the grass moving about, but he decided to ignore them.

As he walked, Mark considered the situation in Rock Tunnel. It was clear that the garbage was coming from Bolt City, but the trainer found it hard to believe that an entire city could be involved in such a blatant disregard for the environment in this world. No, Mark decided, it was most likely the work of a few people who had the influence to allow such actions to be made. There was still the problem of finding out who those people might be, but there would be plenty of time to figure that out once Mark reached the city.

With that, the trainer's eyes glanced over to the immense rock-type traveling alongside him. Mark wasn't entirely sure what gave him the idea to catch Onix after stopping him, as it seemed fairly clear that the stone snake had no desire to follow a trainer like himself. As the man watched the seemingly expressionless look on Onix's face, he made a resolution to himself; once the business with Bolt City was taken care of, Mark decided, he would return Onix to his home in Rock Tunnel.

* * *

The next day, Mark continued on the road through the immense field, this time with his Pokemon stored away in their pokeballs. The sky was once again clear, and gentle breezes made the long grass in the plain around him sway soothingly. The trainer wasn't surprised to see the field teeming with Pokemon once more; Mark had slept in late enough that all of the diurnal Pokemon in the area were probably already awake.

Considering how far Mark had managed to travel the previous day, he wasn't surprised when several tall buildings began to come into view after only a couple hours. As the trainer continued walking, more and more of the sprawling city made itself known. Mark didn't bother taking in the sight of the metropolis that was quickly taking up his vision, instead wondering what to do once he arrived at Bolt City.

Subtlety had never been one of Mark's strong points, and he had precious little experience where politics were concerned. The man idly noted that the situation would be much easier to deal with if finding whoever was responsible and beating him down would solve everything. Shaking his head to expel the useless thought from it, Mark continued onward.

It wasn't long before the trainer entered the city's limits, and he took a few minutes to take in the sights of civilization he had been away from for so long. Massive skyscrapers thrust themselves into the sky, and several vehicles were making their way through the highways that crisscrossed through the entire city; the transports didn't look like anything like the cars and buses Mark knew from his world and they didn't have any exhaust, but it was easy to tell that they served the same function. Several people and Pokemon were traversing the sidewalks, and it was easy to tell that there were many more than there had been in any of this world's cities Mark had seen before.

As the trainer walked down the busy street, he turned toward his Pokedex, keeping just enough of his vision on the sidewalk to keep from running into anything. From the entry on Bolt City, Mark found that the metropolis was founded around the site of Kanto's main power plant almost a decade ago. As the trainer looked up again to look at the wonders around him, he marveled at how developed the city had become in so little time.

It was also easy to tell that the people of Bolt City were just as respectful of the environment as the people everywhere else. It was clear that the vehicles in use were designed in a way that prevented the need for exhaust. In addition, the streets were completely devoid of litter, and the only refuse in sight was perfectly sorted in recycling bins.

As Mark continued to examine his surroundings, he noticed a newspaper dispenser, as well as the headline of the paper it contained. The words 'Recycling Plant' clearly stuck out in the trainer's mind, and he immediately decided to take a closer look at the article. As Mark walked to the newspaper dispenser, he noticed that a few of people nearby were doing double takes upon seeing him; after a moment, he shrugged to himself to dismiss the thought and continued moving.

Newspaper in hand, Mark began to study the article that caught his attention. According to the piece, Bolt City's previous Recycling Plant was destroyed by a freak earthquake a few months ago, and the mayor recently made the statement that the construction of its replacement was underway. As Mark continue reading, he began to excited whispering coming from all around him; the trainer lowered the paper so he could scan the area in front of him, and found a group of people looking at him with both curiosity and enthusiasm. After a moment of silence, one of crowd burst out excitedly.

"Are you really the guy who captured the Onix by Rock Tunnel?" Somewhat taken aback by the question, Mark moved his hand to grasp the sphere at his belt that contained the stone serpent. After what seemed like an eternity to the trainer, he managed to compose himself and gave an answer at least somewhat confidently.

"Ehhh… yeah, that was me." With that, the crowd burst into cheering and began to urge him away from where he was standing, leading him deeper into the city. One person in the throng seemed to have the presence of mind to notice Mark's bewildered expression, and moved closer to the man in order to explain.

"That Onix has been outside Rock Tunnel for almost two weeks, keeping people from getting anywhere near there. Yesterday evening, a kid came into town saying that a passing trainer came and stopped the Onix; he had taken a picture, so that's how we recognized you. The mayor said that he wanted to personally thank the trainer that did it, so we're leading you to City Hall."

With the baffling behavior of the locals explained, Mark allowed the cheering mass of humanity to guide him onward. After several minutes, the crowd stopped in front of an elaborately built stone building. Though it wasn't as large as most of the city buildings Mark had seen in his own world, it was still larger than he had expected, considering that politics didn't have nearly as elaborate a setup in the Pokemon World.

After a few more minutes, the large, wooden double doors that made up the entrance to the building swung inwards, allowing a man to step out from between them. His somewhat short stature strode confidently down the stone steps leading to the sidewalk, a charcoal gray suit expertly tailored to his form. His black hair was smoothly slicked back, and his charismatic face was spread in a practiced smile as he approached Mark through the parting crowd.

"Well, well, well! Judging by these crowds, I'd say you're the brave trainer that stopped that troublesome Onix on our behalf. Would I be right?" The man's eyes shone with a particularly bright gleam of anticipation as he waited for Mark's answer, and the trainer quickly gave it.

"Yeah, that'd be me." Another grateful cheer came from all around as the mayor laughed cheerfully. After a few moments, the mayor lifted up his hands in a gesture meant to silence the applause. As the cheering died down, he turned towards Mark again, addressing him in a loud, clear voice.

"Well then, for your courageous actions, I, Mayor Bomeyer, would like to extend to you the thanks of both myself and everyone in Bolt City. If there is anything you need while you're here, don't hesitate to let me know." Mark gave a small, subtle smile, and he spoke up in a small, modest voice.

"Actually, there is something I want to talk to you about… in private, if you don't mind."

* * *

With Mark's request, Mayor Bomeyer casually led the trainer away from the excited crowd into the City Hall building. A few minutes brought the pair into the mayor's office, prompting the official to take a seat behind his desk. The room was as impressive as the outside of the building, and it was decorated with various paintings and antiques. As Mark examined an obviously old painting showing an artist's rendering of the three legendary birds of Kanto, Mayor Bomeyer chimed in with a grateful, yet still official-sounding voice.

"Alright then, what was it that you wanted? I can assure you that, as mayor, I will do whatever can to help you with it." Mark's face, still mostly turned away from the shorter man, shifted to a sly smirk as he asked his question, just managing to keep his voice inquisitive.

"Sir, I was wondering why that Onix was attacking humans to begin with. You don't happen to know, do you?" Mark's smirk widened as a brief silence answered his question. After a moment of hesitation, the mayor's voice came forth again, the official tone not completely managing to hide the hint of unease.

"Well, it's a wild Pokemon; there's really no telling why it does the things it does. Maybe it just wanted to get in the way of humans; I wouldn't worry about it now, though." The trainer turned toward the mayor then, revealing his devious grin as he asked another question, his inquiring voice exchanged for a knowing one.

"Well, what would that Onix do if its home was say… trashed?" Though Mark doubted that the expression he used held the same meaning that it did in his own world, the literal implication hit Mayor Bomeyer just as hard. The man visibly flinched, and responded in a weak voice.

"What do you mean?" Mark continued easily, grateful at how easily the situation had revealed itself to him.

"I noticed that this city doesn't have a Recycling Plant right now, and you're in the middle of building a new one. In such a situation, it would be appropriate to send any built up garbage to one of the other cities in Kanto so it can be recycled there. In this case, however, I suppose you found the transportation costs too expensive for your tastes and decided to just dump it somewhere else… like in an apparently abandoned cavern in Rock Tunnel." The mayor had visibly paled by the time Mark finished, and he began to slump in his chair in defeat.

"Okay then, you haven't mentioned calling the Pokemon League about this, so I assume there's something you want?" Mark couldn't help but sport a triumphant grin at the response, but he managed to keep calm as he answered.

"It's more like what I don't want, actually; exposing a case of pollution this big would net me a lot of publicity, and I'd prefer not to do that if I don't have to. Basically, I just want you to take care of the problem yourself." The color seemed to be beginning to return the mayor's face, but he still looked uneasy as he despondently replied.

"Take care of it?"

"Yeah, you managed to get all that trash in the cavern; just move it back out and get it to one of the other cities to get it recycled like you were supposed to in the first place. I'll give you about a week; after that, I'm letting the Pokemon League know what's going on, publicity or not." Mayor Bomeyer let out a deep sigh as he weakly drooped forward onto his desk.

"Fine, I'll take care of it as soon as I can." Mark's face broke out in a mock-cheerful grin as he started for the door. The trainer's overly grateful voice trailed behind him as he strode away.

"That would be awesome, thanks; I'll be at Rock Tunnel in a week to make sure everything went okay." Just as Mark reached the door leading out of the room, he turned toward the mayor again and continued. "Oh, and since you were kind enough to offer, if you could arrange a place for me to stay until then, that would be just great."

* * *

A week later, Mark stood outside the entrance to Rock Tunnel with the towering form of Onix standing next to him. Man and Pokemon watched a procession of large, green, dump truck-like vehicles driving away with holds filled almost to overflowing with garbage. Both observers gave a satisfied grin at the sight, when the human finally turned towards the stone snake.

"Well Onix, I'm sorry I just pulled you away from your home like I did, I hope that this was enough to m…" Mark's speech was interrupted by a grumbling noise from the massive rock-type. Onix then began moving toward the entrance to Rock Tunnel, pausing once to turn toward the trainer and make a 'come' gesture with his head.

"You… want me to come with you?" The rock-type answered with a firm nod before it continued moving, leading a confused Mark into the wide caverns. Just before the trainer entered the darkness of the cave, he finally got the presence of mind to retrieve his lantern before going on.

The path Onix led Mark on was completely different than the one before, leading the trainer to wonder what exactly the rock-type was leading him to. After a few minutes, the stone snake turned and entered another tunnel dug into a wall. The passageway was much smaller than any of the others Mark had seen in Rock Tunnel thus far, and Onix's body just barely fit in it. In fact, the rock-type's form seemed to fit the tunnel's size perfectly, leading the human to ask the stone snake a question.

"Did you dig this?" The trainer's inquiry was answered by an affirmative grumbling from the Onix, leading Mark to examine the walls of the passage as the pair continued on. Finally, the tunnel widened out into another cavern; as Mark looked out into the cave, his eyes widened in wonder.

The cavern's walls and several patches of its floor and ceiling were inlaid with numerous colored, semi-transparent stones. Reds, blues, yellows, and greens shone brightly in the glare of Mark's lantern, filling the cavern with a magnificent multicolored glow. After the trainer's thoughts pulled away from the sight before him, he realized that the gemlike rocks were, in fact, evolution stones; he turned toward the Onix again inquisitively.

"Are you saying I can have these?" Though Onix grumbled approvingly, the sound carried a clear warning tone as well. Understanding immediately, Mark gave his response to the tensed rock-type as he started to step forward.

"Yeah, I imagine taking more than one or two of these at once wouldn't be very good for the environment around here." His concern addressed by the response, Onix immediately relaxed, allowing Mark to continue deeper into the cavern. The trainer stopped in front of a point where several stones of various colors were half-imbedded in the stone; he then removed a pokeball from his belt, looking intently into it for a few moments before finally pressing the button on the side.

The usual red light quickly spilled out of the ball, coming to rest on the ground next to Mark before taking shape. After a few moments, Eevee emerged from the glow, her face growing uneasy upon noticing the rocky walls and ceiling of the cavern. Mark reached out toward the nervous fox, pulling her gently toward him as he addressed her.

"Hey Eevee, Onix is going to let me take one of these evolution stones out of here, and I thought I'd ask you if you wanted to use one." The normal-type's eyes brightened as she noticed the various colored stones strewn through the cavern and began to eye them intently. Mark slowly placed the fox on the ground, taking a step back as he softly spoke to her.

"Well, I don't think it's my place to decide what you'll evolve into, so make your choice however you want." Eevee slowly made her way forward toward the reflective rocks, her face showing how lost in concentration she had become. For a few minutes, the small fox stood completely still, when she finally moved forward, touching her nose against one of the stones.

At the contact, Eevee's body gradually faded into a bright white glow, forcing Mark to partially cover his eyes with an arm. The glow grew quickly but steadily, not stopping until it was more than double the size it started at. As the mass of light stopped growing, it slowly began to gain definition, revealing that her tail had grown much shorter and her legs had greatly lengthened. Then, as quickly as the process began, it ended, the light fading to reveal the new form of what had once been an Eevee.

The fox's new form had a foot and a half in height over her previous one, and it had become sleek and more agile looking than before. The mane around her neck had faded from a light brown to pure white, and the rest of her fur had changed to a bright yellow. The newly evolved Pokemon swung her longer, more streamlined head around, examining her spiky fur and lightly muscled features with satisfaction. A grin came to Mark's face as he noted the fox's delight, and he stepped forward to address her.

"Alright Jolteon, let's get out of here. With those new powers of yours, we're gonna have some work to do." The smile gracing Jolteon's newly pronounced muzzle widened at her trainer's remark, and she strode up next to him, her new form taking confident, deliberate steps as she followed him out of the cavern.

* * *

After the human made his way out of Rock Tunnel, Onix went in another direction, and turned back toward the cavern that had been his home for so long. As the stone snake moved along, he noted with satisfaction that the main caverns had become mostly clear of the displaced rock-types, most of them having already returned to the now-cleared cave. Onix went down the tunnel leading to his home, taking only moments to pass through before he reached the end of it; the stone snake looked out at the dark, rocky expanse with satisfaction, seeing the cavern filled with rock-type Pokemon rather than human refuse once more.

As Onix slithered into the cavern, many of the Geodudes and other Onix greeted him warmly, which the larger rock-type responded to as best he could. After a few minutes, heavy footsteps caught the stone snake's attention, causing his gaze to turn toward the middle of the cavern. The mass of stone shaped Geodudes parted as a much larger creature moved through them on its way toward Onix.

Though the newcomer towered over the Geodudes, it was still much shorter than Onix. Short legs carried it across the cavern floor, supporting an almost perfectly round stone body that a pair of arms and a head jutted out of. Its body was a strange mixture of textures, heavily cracked and chipped in some spots, while other patches were worn almost perfectly smooth. As the Golem stopped in front of Onix, he finally spoke; despite his gravelly voice, he still managed to sound warm and friendly.

"Well, my boy, what are you doing back here? I thought you were heading out with that trainer you met." Onix was silent for a moment, but finally spoke up in a respectful tone.

"He let me come back. I'll admit that I'm grateful for it; you know I would never intentionally leave here, Sir." With that, the Golem burst out in amused laughter, the jovial rattling sound easily ringing through the entire cavern.

"How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Atlas? Now there's something I'd like you to tell me; just what happened to that young Onix I used to know that wanted to travel the world, seeing all the sights that nature had to offer?" With that, Onix gave a disgusted snort, turned toward the tunnel he had just entered.

"He found out how much of a danger humans are to this tunnel, and how much someone needs to protect it." Atlas was silent for a moment, a fatherly smile growing on his face as he saw the anger in the stone snake's face.

"What about that trainer you found that just helped us? Surely he's proof enough that not all humans are bad." Despite himself, Onix slowly relaxed his angry look as he found himself subconsciously nodding his agreement, and Atlas continued. "I'm not saying there aren't any dangers that we'll need to face here, and I'm not saying this place isn't worth protecting, but your dreams lie elsewhere. I will not stand by as you give up the life you want out of a sense of responsibility." Once more, Onix nodded his assent, and the Golem formed a mischievous grin.

"Besides, we're not all helpless here. You want a fight so I can prove it to you?" Onix couldn't help but chuckle at the teasing words; though the aged rock-type made such statements on a near constant basis, the stone snake had yet to actually see him fight. Atlas had been capable of diffusing nearly any tense situation with nothing but words for as long as Onix had known him, but he always jokingly asked for a fight once it was clear that an argument was over.

Onix realized that Atlas was right this time as well, and he immediately knew what he needed to do. After lowering his head toward the old Golem in a respectful bow, the stone snake looked out at the now silent crowd of rock-type Pokemon. Every stony face Onix saw looked back with the same look of admiration and understanding, the looks in their eyes all giving him a silent but fond farewell. Without a further word spoken by anyone in the cavern, Onix turned toward the tunnel, and made his way out.

* * *

Mark felt a sense of accomplishment as he made his way down the road once more. The trainer suddenly remembered what he said to Oak, Sketchit, and Joy back in Pallet Town when he first decided to become a Pokemon trainer, and he grinned as he realized that he was helping others, just as he wanted. A high-pitched crackling sound suddenly drew the human's attention to the area in front of him, and he chuckled as he saw the cause.

Pidgeotto and Poliwag were traveling in front of Mark, and were eagerly conversing with Jolteon about her evolution, and the sound that caught the trainer's notice was apparently the new electric type attempting to make a demonstration of her new abilities. The eyes of both the bird and the tadpole sparkled with glee as streams of electricity ran across the spikes in the fox's fur. As Mark turned to his right, he saw Scyther striding next him, the bug's face unable to completely hide a grin at Jolteon's newfound power and confidence.

After observing the antics of his Pokemon for a few minutes more, Mark turned his attention back toward the pokeball in his hand. Having let Onix return to his home in Rock Tunnel, Mark wasn't sure why he continued to hold on to the sphere he had captured the massive rock-type in, but he kept the ball regardless. With a sharp movement, Scyther abruptly spun around so that he was facing the road behind the group; after turning as well to see what the mantis was reacting to, Mark heard a distant, rumbling sound.

Within moments, what looked like a massive avalanche of rocks came roaring down the road toward them. Eventually, what was revealed to be Onix came to a stop as he approached Mark; a silence passed between the trainer and the Pokemon, but it was clear what the rock-type intended. Catching on immediately, Pidgeotto, Poliwag, and Jolteon began cheering, and even Scyther let out a chuckle; bolstered by the approval of his other Pokemon, Mark turned toward the stone snake.

"Well, you want to join us? Looks like we'll be happy to have you."

* * *

For those who may not have known, diurnal refers to animals who are active during the day; couldn't find a better word for it.


	21. Wandering Warrior and Versum Trio!

Alright, this chapter marks the beginning of my first major story arc. As a matter of fact, that next chapter is already complete, and will be posted in a week.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 21: Forest Chase Part One;**

**Wandering Warrior and Versum Trio!**

Within a fairly large but otherwise uninteresting building in an undisclosed location, there was a small room. Three people were inside, sitting on skeletal-looking folding chairs that fit with the Spartan nature of the room. A small speaker was attached to the wall in front of the trio, and an emotionless, mechanical voice was being emitted from it.

One of the two males was leaning far forward, listening intently to the information being given; the other man was also paying close attention, but was instead sitting up straight with his face locked in thought. The lone female in the room held a face of pure indifference, going so far as leaning back in her chair with her legs stretched out in front of her while giving no indication that she was even paying attention. The impassive voice coming from the speaker gave no note of the varied states of awareness exhibited by the three, clearly and evenly stating its intentions.

"The trainer Mark Rowley has recently been spotted leaving Bolt City en route to Vermillion City. You three, Agents 402, 407, and 432, are to intercept him, and bring him back here. Mark himself is to be brought back alive, no exceptions; you can do what you wish with his Pokemon." The agent who had been listening attentively, a heavily muscled mountain of a man, immediately shot up from his chair and stood ramrod straight, giving his reply with a crisp salute.

"Yes, sir!" The smaller man sitting to one side of the saluting agent faintly rolled his eyes at the overdone gesture before turning to the speaker and giving a firm nod. The woman gave a loud, resounding yawn before easing herself from her chair; as the two men stepped out of the room, she lazily followed, giving a casual salute to the speaker as she strode out.

* * *

Mark was striding down the road leading from Bolt City to Vermillion City, a particularly good mood putting an extra spring in his step. Despite the events of Bolt City and Rock Tunnel having ended a few days ago, the satisfaction of changing things for the better was still there. Not only that, but a fifth Pokemon had been added to his team, and Eevee had evolved into Jolteon. With a grin, Mark looked out at his various Pokemon companions surrounding him as he recalled the last few days.

Onix was getting along with the rest of his Pokemon particularly well, easily fitting in with the rest of the group almost immediately upon joining it. Judging by the gestures the Pokemon made when conversing, Mark guessed that Scyther and Poliwag tended to discuss attack techniques and battle strategies with the rocky behemoth, while the rock-type's affinity for nature seemed to be the subject of his conversations with Pidgeotto and Jolteon. The electric-type had been a little wary of the giant rock-type at first, but that quickly faded as she seemed to realize that her new powers were supposed to make her more confident.

Mark smiled proudly at Jolteon, noting her self-assured stride as well as how easily she conversed with all of the other Pokemon. Admittedly, the trainer was still a little uncertain about training in special attacks, but he did what he could to teach Jolteon how to best use her new stores of electricity. Fortunately, the newly evolved fox took in the altered training much easier than he expected; she still had a long way to go, of course, but she had made incredible progress in only a few short days.

Pidgeotto and Poliwag had been essentially the same as usual over the past few days, though the water-type had somehow managed to become even more energetic after defeating Onix in battle, and was seemingly not far from actually bouncing off of the trees and rocks that the group passed by. Scyther was still much the same as he had been for the past while; though he did occasionally practice a few techniques with the rest of the group, he still tended to do most of his practicing on his own. Mark's smile dimmed somewhat as he looked at the mantis; he couldn't help but wish for something significant to happen soon that would convince the bug-type to work with the rest of the group again. Scyther was fine otherwise, he knew, but that one problem was still something that continued to bother him slightly.

Mark looked up as he noticed the path make a slight upwards incline. The path became gradually steeper as the group went on, leading them up a fairly high hill; as he climbed, Mark took a brief glance skyward to find that the sky was mostly sunny, but there was also a blanket of clouds off to the east that was slowly inching his way. As Mark and his Pokemon finally reached the top of the hill, the path suddenly ended, leading everyone to stop in order to determine the reason.

As the group found, not only did the path stop, but the ground did as well, immediately going into steep drop that led down into a thick forest. Mark stepped to the edge and looked down, determining that it might be possible for the group to go down the decline, but also that he would much prefer not to. The trainer prepared to turn and let his Pokemon know that they were to turn back and go around the plateau instead, when something caught his eye.

A Pokemon was climbing up the sharp incline towards them, well-muscled arms and legs swiftly carrying it along as a long, thick tail twitched behind it. The creature's body was mostly brown, but its head was a pale white color with what looked like a crack running down the left side of its face, and an object of the same pale color was held tightly in its jaw. Within moments, the Pokemon reached the top of the plateau, easily pulling itself over the ledge to stand before Mark and his Pokemon.

* * *

Scyther noticed the Marowak coming when Mark did, and watched the ground-type's approach with at least as much interest. As the bug-type watched, it became clear that the Bone Keeper's tail was twitching in a way that made it clear he was anticipating a fight. The mantis also recalled that, for some reason, Cubone and Marowak didn't like holding their ever-present bone clubs with their mouth; the fact that this one was willing to do so in order to climb faster made it evident that whatever the ground-type was after, he was in a hurry to get to it.

After the Marowak reached the top and came to a stop in front of the group, his gaze immediately locked onto Scyther. Returning his bone club to his hand once more, the Bone Keeper's tail continued to twitch eagerly as his mouth curled into a smirk. Scyther stepped forward with a matching grin spread on his face, only stopping when the Marowak began to speak; though he preferred to just get on with the fight that he instinctively knew was coming, the mantis decided to allow the ground-type to speak.

"You the one who took down Shredd?" The surprise at the question silenced Scyther for a few moments, but he quickly composed himself again.

"Yeah, and I'm proud of it. What's it to you?" An air of triumph came to the Marowak's features before he gave his response, a sense of pride clearly evident in his voice.

"I've gone by a lot of names, but right now I call myself Boneyard. I've spent my life looking for decent fights; when I recently heard of some Pinsir named Shredd terrorizing a forest near here. I decided that someone as feared as that would make for a good battle, so I thought I'd find him. Heh, imagine my surprise when I track him down, only to find a bloody, half-empty shell!" The grins on both Scyther and Marowak's faces widened, the bug-type relishing in the memory of his victory, and the ground-type feeling the excitement of his discovery build.

"I figured that, if I couldn't fight Shredd, then a battle with the one who beat him would be at least as good, so I asked around. A few Pokemon in the forest remembered a young, scarred Scyther who disappeared from that forest a while ago, only to come back just long enough to take that Pinsir down. That would be you, right? Shatterblade?" Scyther visibly flinched, causing the Boneyard's expression to twist into one of confusion; the mantis recovered his excited expression quickly, though a hint of guilt was still evident in his face.

"I don't go by that anymore." The ground-type's head tilted to the side in confusion as he examined the bug.

"This trainer give you a new name, then?" Scyther chuckled at that, his face brightening again as he shook his head.

"Nah, just Scyther'll do." The mantis began to crouch into fighting stance, extending his blades toward the Bone Keeper. "I hope you don't mind if I start this now, but all this exposition is getting boring." With that, the bug-type launched himself forward, making his way toward the Marowak, who was swiftly preparing himself as well, shifting his bone club into a defensive position.

Scyther caught a brief glimpse of Mark from the corner of his eye as he lunged towards the ground-type; the trainer seemed fairly unsurprised by his actions, and was already signaling the rest of his Pokemon to back away from the two battlers. It was mere moments before Scyther reached his opponent, and he swung his right arm forward in a Slash attack.

As Scyther's blade collided with Boneyard's suddenly outstretched club, the 'klng' from the clashing weapons resounded through the area. As the mantis settled into his new position, he swiftly thrust his left arm forward, only for the Bone Keeper to sidestep to the left, well out of the way of the strike. The Marowak continued moving, pulling his club away from Scyther's blade and swinging it around toward the bug-type's right leg.

Scyther quickly launched himself skyward, the Bone Club attack going wide as the mantis moved out of Boneyard's range. The ground-type was undaunted though, rearing back the arm holding his club before hurling it at the airborne bug. Scyther smirked in the face of the Bonemerang, allowing his body to drop back to the ground just before the spinning bone could hit him.

The moment Scyther's feet touched earth once more, he lunged forward, racing toward the Marowak as he brought his blades to bear. Boneyard was ready though, quickly throwing out his arms to catch the bug-type's arms before the blades could reach his body. The two battlers locked into a stalemate, Scyther's attack having been forced to a stop by Boneyard, while the Marowak was trapped in a position he couldn't move away from without giving Scyther a chance to attack. The pause in the battle grew to a close when Scyther heard the distinctive sound of something rushing through the air behind him.

The mantis ducked his head just in time for the returning Bonemerang to fly over it, leaving it hurtling towards Boneyard. The ground-type was ready though, using the brief distraction to pull his hands away from Scyther's blades and snatch his club from midair. With a single swift movement, the Marowak let the club's momentum swing it around and forward in a massive uppercut.

The blow hammered into Scyther's chest with a jarring crash, sending him flying backwards. The bug's body slid a short way after it hit the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dirt and sand. After only a few moments though, Scyther pulled himself back to his feet, shaking his head from side to side.

The mantis smirked as he faced down the similarly grinning Marowak, both combatants lifting their respective weapons once more. After a moment, Scyther launched himself forward again, his wings humming to life as he flew at his opponent. As the mantis grew closer, he crossed his arms in front of him and immediately began to spin himself in midair, his features vanishing into a vague green blur as he sped forward.

Boneyard fell into a crouch as Scyther lunged forward, holding his club horizontally in front of him. As the spinning blur that was the mantis closed in, the ground-type thrust his weapon forward, instantly stopping Scyther's charge. With the same movement, the Marowak swung his club to the right, carrying the bug's form with it and sending it to the ground with a crash and another explosion of dirt. Scyther's body slid a short way again before coming to a stop; as the dust cloud from the impact dissipated, Boneyard looked at Scyther with a grin.

"I take it you just got that move to work? You don't seem to have complete control of your movements while you're doing that yet, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to shove you away so easily. That was impressive though; I've never seen a Pokemon as relatively young as you manage to get a move like that to work right." The Marowak fell into a fighting stance once more as he continued. "If you want to keep going, I would definitely like to see what other surprises someone like you might have."

Scyther's mouth pulled into a grin as he rose to his feet once more, his stance making it clear that the damage he had taken so far wouldn't be enough to slow him. The mantis and the Bone Keeper stared each other down for a few moments, not so much as a sound being made between them. Scyther shifted his weight forward, preparing to lunge once more, when the sounds of conversation from Mark's direction drew his attention.

* * *

After making sure that the rest of his Pokemon were out of the way of the battle that was apparently already in progress, Mark turned to watch Scyther fight with the newly arrived Marowak. As the trainer looked on, the power that was thrown behind the Pokemon's attacks made it clear that the mantis had grown a great deal more powerful than the last time the human had seen Scyther fight. Not only that, but the ease with which Scyther dodged the Marowak's Bone Club and Bonemerang attacks showed off his new speed as well.

Mark couldn't help but wince as the ground-type's club came up to slam into Scyther's chest and throw him backwards. He also couldn't stop himself from being surprised at how easily the bug-type picked himself back up again; after that, the surprises only continued when Scyther lunged forward again. When the mantis began to spin himself in midair, Mark instantly remembered when he battled against Misty in Cerulean City; Scyther had briefly tried to use the same technique in a last ditch effort to defeat her Tentacruel. Apparently, Scyther had grown more adept in using that move as well.

As he had no idea what the intentions of Scyther's opponent were, the trainer's worry grew when his Pokemon was hurled to the ground a second time. Fortunately, the Marowak began speaking then, giving Mark a distraction from his concern; the human had no way of knowing what the ground-type was saying, but the man noted that the clicking sounds didn't sound mocking or malicious in any way. As the short speech ended, Mark started to look toward Scyther to see what was going to happen next, but sudden footsteps behind him prompted the man to turn to see what was happening there instead.

As Mark turned around, he found three people in black uniforms waiting for him. On the left side was a woman with short, brown hair and fairly plain features, and a skinny man with unkempt black hair and glasses stood in the center next to her. On the right side was an immense, muscled man that stood at least a head over the other man next him; however, his most shocking feature was his face. The man's bald head was marred with numerous scars, and his nose was misshapen, as though it had been broken and not given a proper chance to heal. Mark's inspection of the group was cut short when the man in the middle spoke.

"Okay, we know that you're Mark Rowley, so we're going to have to ask you to come with us." A sudden silence followed the statement, and Mark idly realized that the fight between Scyther and the Marowak had apparently stopped. Noting the trainer's hesitation, the larger man on the right spoke up with a rough, but somehow considerate, voice.

"I insist that you come with us quietly, and make this easy on yourself. We don't want any trouble here." As Mark prepared to answer, a loud, harsh clicking came from behind him; as the trainer turned to find the source, a brown blur raced by him, causing him to take a surprised step backward. The angered Marowak lunged at the black-clothed trio, swinging his club viciously at the man in the center.

With a speed that belied his size, the man to the right leapt forward, placing himself between the human and the Pokemon, allowing the Bone Club attack to crash into him squarely in the stomach. The agent dropped to his knees as a scarred arm came around to grip the area where he had been struck, what teeth he still had gritting together with the pain. The woman seemed to regard her fallen companion with annoyance, rolling her eyes as she muttered "idiot" under her breath.

As Mark turned to look at the smaller man before him, he noticed that the agent had turned his gaze to an area near the trainer. As Mark followed the man's line of sight, he found what appeared to be an oversized pokeball with a pair of wide, maniacal eyes on the red half. Sounds of shock came from all around Mark as both he and all of his Pokemon suddenly realized what they were looking at. Everyone in the group attempted to back away from the Voltorb, but it was too late.

A sudden flash of light burst from the small electric-type, and suddenly Mark's ears rang from the deafening sound of a Self-destruct attack. The trainer was roughly hurled backward, the shockwave easily knocking his form over the edge of the plateau. As he fell backwards through the air, Mark frantically looked around to find his Pokemon, along with the Marowak, hurtling toward the ground just like himself.

* * *

"I can't believe you did that, you moron." The smaller man ignored 432's outburst; the woman had never seemed to understand why a person would put effort into anything, so 407's overzealous habits always seemed to annoy her. He, on the other hand, was appreciative of 407's tendencies; even though he didn't understand why the large man was willing to put himself in the line of fire so often either. The agent stepped forward and put his hand on 407's large shoulder, putting what little sympathy he could muster into his voice.

"You okay?" The large man turned toward him, attempting to disguise his pain-grit teeth as a smile. As 407 spoke, his voice was even less able to hide his reaction to the blow, his breath coming out in harsh gasps.

"Yeah… I'm fine." After a few moments, 407 took a few deep breaths in an often-practiced manner, and then finally lifted himself to his feet before he continued. "But do you really have to use your Voltorb's Self-destruct for this, 402?" The smaller man turned to the small sphere he had just recalled his unconscious Pokemon into with a sigh before he replied.

"I don't like it either, but he seems to like Self-destructing for some reason; if I don't have him use it for this, he'll just use it on his own for something else. Besides, our best strategy is to separate our targets, and Voltorb's Self-destruct is our most suitable attack for doing that." Satisfied for the time being, 407 pulled two pokeballs from his belt.

"Well, it seems that it's time to get to work then!" 432 had removed two pokeballs from her belt as well, and both agents prepared to release their Pokemon from their spheres. Just before they could do so, 402 spoke up, causing the two to immediately stop what they were doing.

"Hold on for a moment, I want to check something." With that, the agent pulled a device resembling a PDA from his pocket, and began to fiddle with it. After a minute, a triumphant grin spread across the man's face as he held out the device, the screen dominated by a picture of a Marowak with a crack running down the left side of its face.

"I knew I saw a Marowak like that somewhere before; its one of the Pokemon that the Boss wants captured for experimentation. There's a one thousand dollar bonus for the agent, or agents, who can bring it in alive." As the man looked at his companions, he found Agent 407's horrific face forming a cheerful grin and 432 dreamily murmuring something about 'easy money' to herself.

"Alright, let's do it!" At 402's order, the trio released their two Pokemon each, not including 402's unconscious Voltorb. The agent purposefully stepped up to the six Pokemon before him, wasting no time in giving them their orders.

"Bring the human and the Marowak to us alive. Kill the rest."


	22. Leave Them Alone!

Chapter 22, or Part 2 of the 'Forest Chase' arc. I'd like to thank Jester of the Abyss for the reviews, as well as everyone still reading this. I have managed to complete Chapter 23 over the past week, so I will post that after another week. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep up this pace for at least the remainder of this arc.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 22: Forest Chase Part Two;**

'**Leave Them Alone!'**

The earth shook violently as a massive rock snake plowed into it, having fallen from the edge of a fairly high plateau. However, almost as quickly as it had fallen, the towering creature pulled itself back up. As the stony behemoth began to look around, it leisurely set off into a deep, thick forest.

Being made of rock, Onix took the impact of crashing to the ground from the top of the plateau fairly easily, taking only a few moments to regain his senses after he hit the earth. As the rock-type pulled himself back to his full height, he looked down at his body to inspect it for injuries. Finding none worth noting, Onix turned his attention to his surroundings.

The area behind him was dominated by the earthy wall of the plateau he had just fallen from; though Onix would have been perfectly capable of making his way back to the top, he already knew that that wasn't where his companions were. Turning around, the rock-type found a thick forest that extended nearly to the edge of his vision in all directions. As Onix looked into the thick tangle of foliage, he found no signs of other Pokemon nearby, and he quickly came to the conclusion that the surprise from his sudden fall had frightened them off.

The towering rock-type suddenly turned his thoughts to his trainer and fellow Pokemon. While he was falling, Onix had seen that most, and probably all, of them had been knocked from the cliff by the Self-destruct attack just as he had been; unfortunately, they had all fallen in different parts of the forest, and he had few clues as to where he could find them. After a minute or so of thought, the behemoth decided that he would get nowhere by staying where he was, so he carefully set off into the forest, moving in a practiced manner that kept his massive, rocky body from tearing up the ground beneath it.

As Onix made his way between the trees with as delicate of movements as his lumbering body could manage, he turned his thoughts to the last few days. Atlas had been right about Mark, though Onix had no reason to believe that the wise old Golem wouldn't be; the human tended to keep any affection he showed fairly subtle, but it was clear that he cared about his Pokemon. The stone snake had been surprised to find that Mark seemed capable of fighting on his own; Onix had never met a human willing to battle using anything other than their own Pokemon before.

As for his Pokemon, Mark's Scyther was nice enough to all of his comrades, including Onix, but a dangerous, powerful aura seemed to emit from the bug-type that the stone snake couldn't help but feel somewhat wary of. Since the mantis seemed to prefer practicing on his own, he and Onix had never had a reason to fight so far, something the rock-type found himself grateful for, despite his type advantage. Pidgeotto was also an interesting character, capable of battling with a furious resolve one moment, and then showing equally intense concern for her teammates the next.

Poliwag and the Jolteon that Onix had briefly known as an Eevee were young, but they were also determined, doing everything they could to practice on the same level as the older members of the group. Poliwag trained with a zeal that continuously left the rock-type in shock, often practicing quite literally until she dropped; Jolteon was a bit more subdued in her training, and her demeanor seemed to suggest that she didn't have the same fondness for battling as the rest of the group. It didn't take for Onix to conclude that Mark's group was a varied one, and the rock-type was comforted by how quickly he had been accepted into it.

Onix's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a few small impacts accompanied by the sounds of cracking wood. Setting aside his memories of his teammates for later, the rock-type changed course toward where the noises were coming from. After about a minute, another series of splintering crashes turned the stone snake's attention toward the culprit.

It was a Pokemon, the first one Onix had seen since his fall. Four somewhat knobby legs carried him purposefully through the forest, and a long, yellow neck spotted with brown swung from side to side to allow his head to look around lazily. Every few moments, the two blunt horns on his head glowed with purple energy, which promptly launched out in the form of a beam that smashed into one of the nearby trees. The Girafarig was the image of nonchalance as he strode through the forest, hurling Psybeam attacks through it without even batting an eye; having seen more than enough, Onix slid forward, making his way to where the psychic-type could see him.

"Stop that. Now." If the brown, headlike growth that made up the Girafarig's tail was capable of responding, it made no indications of the sort. Fortunately, the more normal looking head on top of the creature's neck did, casually turning so that it faced Onix before giving a bland response.

"Meh, they're only trees. My trainer has me looking for some stupid trainer and his Pokemon, and I really need something to keep this searching thing from getting boring." With that, the psychic turned away from Onix, not noticing the look of surprise in the rock-type's face. The Girafarig let loose a few more errant Psybeams before suddenly freezing in his tracks. The long necked Pokemon turned back to Onix, his head cocking to the side slightly, as if contemplating something; after a moment, he spoke.

"Hey, you're the Onix I'm supposed to be looking for, aren't you?" Having already had his guard up, Onix was already curled in a way that kept as little of his massive body open to his opponent as he could manage. Unable to move about much without smashing through the trees surrounding him, Onix could only remain in place as the Girafarig leapt at him.

Onix quickly forced energy through his body as the psychic-type closed in, using it to reinforce his already stony hide and take the blow when the Girafarig rammed his forelegs into the stone snake's head. Having easily taken the giraffe's Stomp attack with his Harden ability, the stone snake flipped his head forward, tossing the Girafarig back in the direction from which he had come. However, the psychic easily righted himself so that he landed neatly on his feet, and a brief silence came over the area as both combatants considered what to do next.

Onix's mind raced as he used the pause to consider his situation. Just moving through the forest surrounding him without damaging it was difficult enough; trying to fight while in it was simply out of the question. He had no choice; he would have to find a more open area before he would be able to retaliate.

With that, the stone snake took off toward his left, making his way toward an open area he remembered seeing before he had set off earlier. If he remembered right, the clearing would still be some distance off and would take a while to get to at his current pace, but it was his best chance. Onix knew that the Girafarig wasn't about to let him go that easily, which was made evident when a flash of purple light flashed from the psychic's direction.

Onix's body tensed as he felt a powerful impact against his side, his stone body unable to protect him from the force of the Psybeam attack. The stone snake shook off the blow as best he could as he continued moving, keeping his attention on the Girafarig that had begun galloping alongside him, his smaller size allowing him to maneuver through the cramped conditions far more easily. The giraffe allowed his horns to glow with purple light once more, throwing yet another Psybeam in the rock-type's direction.

Onix noted that the psychic didn't seem to put much effort into aiming his attack, as its path was easy enough to dodge, even in the claustrophobic conditions the behemoth was trapped in; however, it was obvious that the attack would have crashed into the forest near him if he tried to evade the strike. With that, Onix angled part of his body upwards, allowing the violet energy to slam into it, forcing another wince from the rock-type. The Girafarig's face burst into a grin as his head swung around, turning his gaze away from the stone snake.

Onix again forced himself to take his mind off of the pain emanating from the areas where he had been struck, taking off in the direction of the clearing again. Keeping sight of the Girafarig out of the corner of his eye, Onix noticed a confounded look in the psychic's face, which slowly grew into a knowing grin. The giraffe swung his head around so that it was facing away from the stone snake; instantly realizing what was happening, Onix called out, his voice threatening, yet filled with thinly veiled concern.

"Don't you even think about it!" It was already too late; in rapid succession, the Girafarig launched first one Psybeam, then another, and then another. Loud crashes punctuated each impact as all three attacks slammed into a different tree, putting deep, gaping wounds in each one and sending splintered wood everywhere. Onix froze, gaping at the surreal sight with wide eyes as the Girafarig turned back around with a snide grin.

"Think about what?" Forcibly restraining himself from lunging at the smirking giraffe, Onix turned once more, setting off for open space with as swift a pace as he dared. The Girafarig set off after him, his small lithe form easily keeping up with Onix's massive, bulky one. More bursts of purple light shot from the psychic as he fired a series of smaller Psybeams in the rock-type's direction.

Onix grit his mouth as numerous impacts rattled his body, many of them managing to break off chunks of his rocky body, which fell on the ground beneath him in rains of grit and pebbles. By now, the stone snake knew better than to let the pain slow him, and continued on his way without pause. From time to time, the Girafarig turned his head in a random direction, launching Psybeams into the forest without care; the vivid images of the purple bolts tearing into the majestic trees bore themselves into Onix's mind as bits of bark and wood flew through the air, seemingly in slow motion.

Despite the tormented look that etched itself onto Onix's face, he kept going, the knowledge that any efforts to attack the Girafarig right then would only cause more damage being the only thing that kept him from trying. The stone snake just barely caught the sight of the giraffe leaping into the air towards him, his entire head wreathed in violet light. This time the psychic was precise with his aim, his eyes growing intense as his form plunged headfirst toward his opponent.

Onix roared in agony as the Zen Headbutt smashed into his massive form, feeling himself lose control of his body as pain ratcheted through it. While the Girafarig landed on the earth some distance away from Onix, the stone snake fell much less gracefully, his heavy body crashing into the ground with enough force to send a wave of dirt and dust into the air. As the psychic looked on smugly, Onix remained prone on the forest floor, frantic thoughts racing through his mind as faint twitches of his body gave away his attempts to force himself to get back up.

"**This Girafarig has a complete disregard for the nature here. I can't let him keep going on like this… he's probably destroyed several Pokemon's homes by now already. Besides… he's after Mark, isn't he? He's the first human I could let myself trust, and I can't let him down now."**

A rumbling groan came from Onix's throat as he forced himself up once more, using the brief moment that Girafarig was frozen in shock as an opportunity to start moving. Fortunately, the trees had thinned out somewhat by that point, so the stone snake was able to move a little faster than he had before. All of a sudden, a bright light shone in front of Onix from between the trees; the rock-type felt a second wind of energy flow through him as he realized that he had reached the clearing.

* * *

"**How did he get back up?"** The Girafarig couldn't help himself from getting lost in astonished thoughts even as the rock-type slunk away from him. **"All those Psybeams I hit him with… and I put everything I had behind that Zen Headbutt. There's no way he should have been able to get up after that!"**

Finally, the psychic managed to force himself back to the task at hand, and he set off after the injured Onix once more. Fortunately, the rock-type's trail, though significantly less destructive than would ever be expected of an Onix, was still distinctive, allowing the Girafarig to easily follow his target. The giraffe continued on with a significantly more serious expression on his face; though Agent 432 didn't worry too much on the rare occasions that he couldn't successfully complete a mission for her, he still didn't like giving her a reason to be disappointed with him.

All of a sudden, the Girafarig was bathed in light as he burst out into a clearing, forcing him to squint his eyes in the face of the brilliantly shining sun. The psychic looked about from side to side in confusion; despite there being nowhere to hide, there was no sign of the stone snake anywhere. With a jolt, the giraffe felt the earth around him shake as an angry, rumbling voice shook him to the core.

"You made a big mistake there." Suddenly, pain shot through Girafarig's body as a massive, stony head rammed into him from underneath. As the giraffe's body was launched into the air from the impact, the Onix fully emerged from the earth he had tunneled his way into. The numbness that froze Girafarig's body from the force of the Dig attack kept him from righting himself in midair, and he gave a small cry as the hard ground enthusiastically rushed up to meet him; Onix turned to face the grounded psychic, his face obviously pained from his injuries, but not enough to detract any of the fury from his words.

"The damage you did to those trees… they probably won't be able to survive it." Despite the distance Girafarig was thrown by Onix's first attack, the stone snake was still within striking distance. The rock-type used that to his advantage, lashing out his tail in a Rock Throw attack; the attack crashed heavily into the psychic, sending his body bouncing painfully along the floor of the clearing.

"Who knows how many Pokemon may have made lived in those trees? How many will have to abandon their ruined homes because of you?" Girafarig shakily made his way to his feet as Onix's furious voice roared at him, forcing his shuddering legs to move as he made a weak effort to run from the suddenly far more dangerous behemoth. After a journey of several feet that felt to the psychic like several miles, he came to a stop, his weakening legs unable to carry him any further.

A growing rumbling sound came from behind the giraffe, and he carefully turned his already bruised body around to face it. Despite already knowing what was coming, Girafarig couldn't stop his eyes from widening in fear at the sight of the avalanche of rocks that rushed at him. After a few moments, the rampaging Onix finally reached him, and the rock-type slowed down somewhat, bringing up his tail as he did so.

As if in slow motion, the massive stone appendage lifted up into the air several feet above the giraffe's head. All the psychic could see was the fury in the eyes of the Pokemon that was supposed to be his target, and the tail composed of boulders that loomed over him ominously. Without hesitation, the limb came down with a rush of air; suddenly, all Girafarig could feel was pain exploding through every part of his body, and then everything went black.

* * *

Onix lifted his heavy tail from the unconscious body of the Girafarig, his victory over the psychic-type allowing his anger toward the Pokemon to finally subside. With the battle over, the stone snake allowed his chipped and battered body slump in exhaustion; fortunately, the pain from Girafarig's various attacks had faded down to a dull ache that, while distracting, wasn't overly so. Onix remained in that position for a few minutes, allowing himself a small amount of rest to recover from that trying battle before continuing on.

After taking as much time as he dared, Onix lifted his enormous body again, and prepared to set off once more. Just as he was about to leave, the stone snake looked down at his fallen opponent one last time; the giraffe was clearly in a sorry state, discolored bruises and bleeding cuts that were even visible through his fur covered most of his body, and his eyes were rolled into the back of his head. Onix set off, leaving the battered psychic behind him; however, he did say one last thing as he moved away, his harsh voice not caring whether his target could hear him or not.

"Hope you've learned some respect."


	23. Bring It On, Versum!

Here's chapter 23, and I have little doubt that I'll be able to finish 24 by next Monday. Once again, I'd like to thank those who are reading and especially those who are reviewing.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 23: Forest Chase Part Three;**

'**Bring It On, Versum!'**

A thin covering of clouds covered the sky, allowing a gloomy atmosphere to settle over all that were beneath them. Beneath that gray blanket lay a sprawling forest, specifically a small clearing within it where a human male stood. Faint bruises were starting to become evident along his arms, and his hair was disheveled and dirty; however, his hazel eyes revealed a fierce determination. The man smoothly fell into a fighting stance, he and a Pokemon beside him staring down the muscular humanoid figure before them.

As Mark fell through the air, he soon found that his path through the air was leading him toward the steep slope leading down from the edge of the plateau. Just as the human was about to hit the incline, he curled himself up, using the tried and true 'tuck and roll' maneuver to avoid major injury from the impact. After a long and fairly painful trip down the slope, Mark rolled several feet along the level ground before finally coming to a stop.

The trainer finally stood up, just managing to ignore the various sore points throughout his body as he looked around. Though he landed well inside the forest that had stood at the bottom of the plateau he fell from, he had ended up in a small clearing surrounded by towering trees. Mark had seen all of his Pokemon falling along with him after the Self-destruct, but it seemed as if they had all landed in different areas.

Or not, Mark amended, having just noticed a ball of spiky yellow fur curled up several feet away. It took only a few moments for the trainer to make his way to Jolteon, and he inspected the electric-type for injuries. Though a few dark bruises showed through her light fur from the tumble down the slope, Jolteon thankfully had no major injuries; the trainer bent down toward the Pokemon, giving her form a gentle shake as he spoke.

"Jolteon, it's okay, you're safe now; you need to get up now so we can find the others." With that, the electric-type slowly uncurled herself and looked around. Finding that she was, in fact, on solid earth, Jolteon quickly lifted herself back to her feet, shaking her head to get rid of her disorientation; within moments, the fox stood at her trainer's side, a firm look on her face. Finding himself grinning once more at Jolteon's continuing progress, Mark turned toward one of the edges of the clearing, and began to make his way toward it.

As he went, Mark began to think about Versum, and wondered once more why they were after him. He hadn't seen any members of the organization since that guy with the Hoothoot and the Venonat, and he was sure he hadn't interfered with them since Crescent Town. The trainer gave a sigh as he realized that he was only going to come to the same conclusion as every other time he took that line of thought; no matter hard he tried to figure out why Versum was after him, he simply didn't have any information to help him.

Suddenly, just before the man and his Pokemon could enter the forest, Mark heard a heavy 'thump' somewhere behind him. Instantly, the trainer spun to locate the source, his eyes quickly falling upon it; the large, humanoid body was easily recognizable to him, even though the specimen before him now was visibly younger and more powerful than the one he remembered. The Primeape's beady eyes glared at him meaningfully, and the muscular limbs sprouting from his white, furry body flexed and unflexed almost randomly.

Without warning, the monkey shot forward, racing toward the pair with a meaty fist clenched. Mark instantly prepared himself for the charge, dropping into a fighting stance as he faced down the approaching Pokemon; however, he realized with a start that the fighting-type was headed directly for Jolteon, who had grown stock still as she stared helplessly at the raging Primeape. Moving as quickly as he could, Mark shot to his left so that he stood between his own Pokemon and the one before him, throwing his right arm forward to deflect the Karate Chop attack clearly meant for Jolteon.

With a single smooth movement, the trainer curled his still outstretched right arm and rammed it into the Primeape's abdomen elbow-first, but was rewarded with nothing more than a dull 'thump'; noting the futility of his first attack, the human followed it up by launching a punch with his left arm, allowing a quick jerk of his hips to increase the force. Though the strike still didn't seem to affect the fighting-type much, it was at least enough to send the Pokemon staggering backwards, giving Mark a few precious seconds to think.

Apparently, Mark realized, his own attacks were completely ineffective against the Primeape's thick, dense muscles, so it seemed that another approach was in order. The trainer looked over at Jolteon, finding that her initial shock had worn off; the electric-type was staring down the much larger Pokemon, crouched down on all fours in preparation. Her Thundershock attacks would probably be more effective… Mark immediately shook the thought from his head; Jolteon had only recently grown ready to take part in typical, Pokemon League-based battles, so asking her to face down a much physically stronger Pokemon that he had knew didn't any qualms about actually killing her was simply out of the question.

Mark's thoughts were interrupted when Primeape lunged once more; deciding to avoid any more close calls, Mark leapt forward as well to meet the charge. As the fighting-type threw a right hook, the trainer easily stepped to the outside of the attack, retaliating by plunging his own right fist into the monkey's stomach. Again unaffected by the blow, the Primeape swung his right arm around in a Karate Chop that Mark just barely ducked underneath. Immediately, the Pokemon shot out a kick at the crouched human, and Mark scrambled to his left, circling around the Primeape to avoid the outstretched leg. As he stood up, he noticed that now the muscular monkey was now between Mark and Jolteon; a burst of inspiration suddenly came to the trainer, and he called out to his electric-type.

"Jolteon, I'm going to keep him occupied; whenever you see an opening, hit him with a Thundershock!" Resolved to give his opponent no time to react to the order, Mark launched himself forward again, landing another punch on the fighting-type that effectively caught his attention. After a quick exchange of blows, the Primeape suddenly went rigid as thin lines of yellow electricity surged through his body; Mark noted with some relief that this time the muscular Pokemon's face clearly registered the pain from the attack.

After a few moments, the bolts of coursing electricity came to a stop, and the Primeape quickly turned to locate their source. Even as the monkey started toward Jolteon, Mark was already moving between the two Pokemon, using his body to throw the Primeape's arms awkwardly off course before throwing another left armed punch. After the attack successfully landed on what Mark guessed was near his face, the human whipped his right leg up and around in a roundhouse kick to the monkey's side; as the fighting-type was sent reeling from the assault, Mark knocked the Primeape backwards with another right armed punch, and the monkey stiffened again as bolts from Jolteon's Thundershock ran through him, letting out a bellowing, enraged squeal all the while.

As the second Thundershock came to an end, the Primeape's fur had become singed and smoking in a few places, and for a few moments, his thick arms dangled at his sides. The respite was short-lived, however, and the relentless fighter once again set out to bring down the source of the electrical attacks that continually lashed out at him. Again having anticipated the move, Mark had already started forward to place himself between his ally and his enemy; however, even as the monkey continued forward, a sudden realization hit Mark.

All of his Pokemon were separated and presumably lost in the forest just as he was, and he remembered seeing two pokeballs on the belt of each of the Versum agents from earlier. That meant that there was probably at least one of their Pokemon in the forest for every one of his, and Mark had no way of knowing how powerful any of the others were compared to the Primeape he was facing now. A wave of dread washed over the man as he realized that his current situation could very well cost him the friends he had made since entering this world.

Mark's jumbled thoughts prevented him from doing any more than defend against Primeape's attacks. His arms continuously came around to block the monkey's strikes, forcing winces from the trainer as he found that the fighting-type was powerful enough that even blocking his attacks was painful. Not only that, but since the human was unable to create any distance between himself and his opponent, Jolteon wouldn't be able to use Thundershock again without hitting Mark as well.

The trainer's thoughts were abruptly cut short as Primeape's heavy fist buried itself in Mark's stomach, his mind suddenly unable to comprehend anything but the blinding pain radiating from his gut. Mark didn't notice the weightless feeling of being sent hurtling backwards from the attack, and the impact of his back slamming back into the ground was near inconsequential. The human clasped an arm over his stomach as a cold feeling began to emanate from it, struggling to fight off a sudden urge to retch. With a massive effort, Mark wrenched his eyes open, taking in the sight of the Primeape beginning to make his way forward; the man slowly pulled himself up to a sitting position, mentally urging himself on all the while.

_I can't give up now; this Primeape has to be stopped, and there's no way I can leave Jolteon to deal with him on her own. Not to mention the other Pokemon, they might already be… no… I captured them because of their will to fight. How many times has that been tested, and how many times have they pulled through?_ With that, Mark pulled himself back to his feet, his bruised arms dangling at his sides; hair tousled from his fall hung forward so that it cast a shadow over his face, leaving an eerie smirk the only part of it visible as he faced down the Primeape once more.

"I'm done worrying about my Pokemon, Versum, and you know why? Because the rest of your Pokemon are already as good as beaten; my comrades are all going to win, I have no doubt of that now. That just leaves you to deal with. So…" Mark lifted his head, revealing determined eyes that immediately locked with those of the fighting-type Pokemon. "Bring it."

Mark took a tentative step toward the Primeape, giving a slight wince as he found that the pain from the last shot hadn't completely worn off yet; in addition, both the fall and the fight thus far had taken a lot out of him, but he figured that he'd be able to keep up the fight for just long enough to end it, if his most recent plan worked, anyway. The trainer turned toward Jolteon, finding a concerned gaze that was locked on him. Speaking in a voice that he hoped kept his pain out of it, Mark addressed the electric-type.

"Don't worry about me; we need to focus on bringing this guy down. For now, build up your electricity as much as you can; I'll let you know when to use it." Though Jolteon was unable to learn the Charge maneuver, she was able to build up enough electricity to unleash a far more powerful version of her Thundershock if she was given enough time; however, that kind of power buildup would force the fox to get in close to ensure that the attack would hit the right target. Of course, that's where Mark's plan came in.

* * *

Upon hearing her trainer's request, Jolteon's nod was slightly hesitant, but firm. Building up electricity like he was asking for made it unstable to the point that Jolteon had no control over where it struck; she would have to be almost right on top of the Primeape to ensure the attack would hit him, and Mark would have to stay far back, or he could very well get caught in the Thundershock as well. However, Mark had been there every step of the way since she evolved, so he knew what she was capable of at least as well as she did herself; if Jolteon knew the man at all, he had already considered everything she had just thought and had an intelligent, well-thought out means to deal with it.

"Come on! Let's go, you stick-armed ball of hair!" Mark's voice shook Jolteon out of her thoughts, and she stared in shock at her trainer, though she managed to keep the presence of mind to start building up her electricity as he had asked. The man had leveled a cheeky grin at the Primeape, and he had a swagger in his movements that suggested he didn't see the fighting-type as a threat in the slightest.

As expected, the muscular monkey didn't take to that behavior well, and he lunged with a bloodthirsty look on his face. However, Mark seemed to have no intention of meeting the Primeape's attack, simply using quick movements to dance out of the way of the punch thrown by the fighter. To Jolteon's horror, the trainer hit the already furious monkey with a snide, derisive laugh just before his mocking voice added still more fuel to the fire of the Primeape's fury.

"What, was that it? I've seen better efforts from Magikarp!" Jolteon was frozen in place as she watched her trainer, only just managing to keep building up electricity through her shock. She thought Mark told her that he had dealt with a Primeape before; surely he knew not to provoke one like this.

If Mark did know that usually unshakable law of the Pokemon World, he gave no indications of the sort. One by one, he nimbly sidestepped attack after increasingly furious attack from the obviously enraged Primeape, leaving scathing remarks in his wake. By the time that the dueling pair had nearly reached the edge of the clearing, even the monkey's thick fur was unable to hide the pulsing veins bulging from his forehead, just above his madly twitching eyes. Suddenly, Jolteon's breath caught in horrified realization as she saw an all too familiar gleam in the Primeape's eyes; if there was one thing Jolteon would never be able to forget, it was her memories of the attack she knew that the fighting-type was about to use.

It was Thrash, a move that caused Pokemon to draw on every last bit of anger and hatred they possessed, channeling it into a relentless assault that didn't even distinguish between ally and enemy. An almost demonic glint visible in the Primeape's eyes, numerous veins bulging furiously from his forehead, and a blood red aura that enshrouded his body like hellish flames combined to create a terrifying visage. Mark went too far, Jolteon thought dismally; he pushed that Primeape too far, and now he would never stop until the both of them were dead.

However, Mark appeared mostly unfazed, merely taking a few steps backward so that he stood among the trees just outside the clearing. The insolent grin on his face had mostly faded, leaving only a look of serious concentration as kept his gaze leveled at the newly empowered Primeape. After a few moments, the nigh-unquenchable rage brought about by using Thrash had engulfed the fighter completely, and he charged forward with a bloodcurdling roar.

Mark leapt to the side as the Primeape plunged his massive fist through the space he had just vacated; the attack ended up going straight through one of the thick tree's trunks instead, shattering it into so many splinters. As Mark stood back up, the monkey swung his arm around in another attempt to crush the trainer; once again, the man dodged the strike, ducking underneath it in time for the Primeape's arm to smash through another tree. Mark circled around the fighting-type again, pausing a moment before throwing himself backwards.

The Pokemon started forward to continue his assault on the man, when a nearby tree toppled over, landing directly on the Primeape and pinning him down. The downed tree shook slightly as the fighting-type underneath it began to lift it; suddenly, a second tree came crashing down as well, effectively halting the enraged monkey's efforts. The fallen trunks still quivered as the Primeape struggled to dislodge them, but his arms were pinned in a way that kept even his massive strength from doing much.

"Jolteon, now!" Mark's urgent command pulled the electric-type from her frozen shock, and she leapt toward the downed Primeape, still having to focus as numerous lines of electrical power surged through her body in a desperate attempt to escape from it. As she reached her target, Jolteon leapt up onto the tree trunks that held him down, staying careful to remain well out of the still-enraged Primeape's reach. Finally, after a cursory glance to make sure that Mark was well out of range, Jolteon's attack began.

* * *

All at once, dozens of bolts of yellow electricity shot from the fox's body in every direction. Several streams ran along the tree trunks that Jolteon stood on, leaving explosions of splintering wood in their wake, and several others dove into the nearby earth, fizzling into nothing on contact. However, many had also found their way toward the Primeape that had been their intended target; an inhuman squeal pierced the air as streams of electricity surged through the fighting-type's body, causing his body to convulse as much as his cramped conditions would allow.

The assault ended as suddenly as it started, the streams of energy fading enough to provide a clear view of the aftermath. Long, ragged gashes ran through both tree trunks, and the nearby ground was nearly blanketed with bits of shattered wood. Wisps of smoke lazily drifted from the most heavily affected parts of the scene, filling the air with an acrid smell.

Still buried under the two tree trunks, the Primeape was clearly out of the fight. The aura that had flared from the monkey's body earlier had faded away, and his heavy snarling had died down to the slow, even breathing of unconsciousness. Numerous areas of the Pokemon's fur were smoldering, and remnants of the attack's electricity caused his body to give the occasional involuntary jerk.

Mark observed the scene with satisfaction as Jolteon easily hopped to the ground from her perch, her breathing slightly heavy from the effort of storing and releasing so much electricity at once. The trainer let out a deep breath, willing all of the worry and tension that he had acquired during the fight to leave along with it. Though he had guessed that the Primeape would be far less likely to notice his surroundings while under the influence of Thrash, he knew that getting caught with one of the fighting-type's moves during that time would have definitely been his last mistake. Mark could only thank his lucky stars that everything had worked out as he intended.

Looking down, Mark gave a quick inspection of Jolteon. The electric-type had not taken any notable injuries from the battle, but her last momentous attack had left her visibly exhausted. In addition, though most electric-type Pokemon immediately began generating new electricity to replace what they use, Jolteon's relative inexperience with her electric abilities meant that the process would be much slower in her case; if they ended up in another fight, it was unlikely that Jolteon would have much electricity left to use.

Shaking aside those thoughts for the moment, Mark reached down to pet Jolteon, silently congratulating her on a job well done. After looking up to notice that the sun was now shining down through a momentary break in the clouds, the trainer then turned to lead his Pokemon into the forest, embarking on a search to find the other members of their group. After a moment, though, Mark turned to his companion electric-type, a conspiring, but mischievous tone in his voice.

"Y'know, maybe we shouldn't tell Onix how we won that fight."


	24. I'll Be Strong, Too!

Classes have just started for me and I haven't really finished the next chapter yet, but I'll do my best to ensure that the next chapter still comes out next Monday. Thanks again for reading and for the reviews.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 24: Forest Chase Part Four;**

'**I'll Be Strong, Too!'**

Deep inside a forest, a tranquil peace enshrouded all, with only the occasional rustling of leaves to break the silence. The thick covering of the leafy canopy overhead gave a dim, shadowy quality to everything, making it difficult to pick out the easy, subtle movements of the creatures native to the area. Suddenly, the peace was shattered by two forms unknown to the forest's inhabitants; before long, one of the two foreigners was diving into the other from above, its eyes burning with furious intent.

A steady stream of water crashed into the forest floor with a small explosion of dirt and mud, the result of Poliwag using a Water Gun attack to slow her descent after being thrown from the plateau. It worked almost as well as the tadpole intended; she still landed hard, but not hard enough to suffer any injuries worse than a bruise or two. After everything she had gone through to get to where she was, little things like that were nothing to her anymore.

Poliwag took a brief glance toward the area she had just fallen from, noting the height of the plateau as it rose above the tops of the trees around her. For a brief moment, the water-type decided that climbing back up that slope to the top would make for some good training, but she reluctantly cast the thought aside. The others were knocked into the forest as well, so they were probably still around somewhere.

Deciding that one direction was as good as any other, Poliwag set off into the forest, taking quick, excited glances at sights around her as she strode along. She had a mission to find her friends though, and didn't dwell on any of the things she saw for very long. The tadpole moved through the forest at a steady, resolute pace, not allowing herself to stop to inspect even the most interesting findings.

In the back of her mind, the water-type thought about the situation that she and her friend were now in. Mark had actually been expecting something like this to happen for some time, ever since her fight near Crescent Town, in fact. The looming threat of Versum seemed to motivate the man to train both himself and his Pokemon as hard as he could manage; of course, Poliwag didn't really need something like that as an incentive to train, but she had gone along with Mark anyway.

Suddenly, the sound of far off footsteps caused the tadpole to come to a stop. Poliwag looked around at the forest around her; the few Pokemon that she managed to make out from the splotchy shadows moved with an easy familiarity that kept them from making nearly any noise at all. Whatever was making those steps, Poliwag concluded, it wasn't native to this forest.

"So, I take it that you're the Poliwag who was with that 'Mark' guy, right?" The tadpole turned toward the source of the deep, chittering voice, finding a round, furry Pokemon waiting for her. The creature was only a little taller than Poliwag herself, but his bulky form was much larger than hers. His beady eyes were locked onto her, and the whiskers that sprouted from both sides of his face twitched occasionally; the oversized fangs easily visible through the Pokemon's slightly open mouth chomped together at a slow but steady pace, as if he were chewing on something invisible.

Poliwag eyed the Raticate warily, instantly realizing that the rat's intentions were less than friendly. The water-type grinned slightly in anticipation of a fight, but she then remembered that finding her friends was her main concern; if she could find any way to avoid fighting the Pokemon before her, she would have no choice but to do so. Suddenly, the Raticate's examining eyes widened, and he began to snicker, a snide, chittering sound that rang through the forest; the laughter eventually subsided leaving the rat with an annoyed, disappointed look.

"You? Of all the Pokemon 407 could have sent me after, it has to be you? Ugh, I always get the boring jobs." Poliwag took an involuntary step back, dismay starting to well up at the thought of what the Pokemon's sudden outburst meant; the Raticate seemed to notice, as he continued in explanation. "Before I was caught by Versum, I lived in the Viridian Forest; just like you did, right?"

Poliwag's heart sank as the realization of what the Raticate implied sunk in. She considered herself well past it, partly due to her own efforts and partially from the assistance of Mark, but she still hated being reminded of what she had been like before. Almost as if reading her thoughts, the rat continued in that mocking voice.

"Yeah, I know about the Poliwrath who used to live there, so strong that it seemed that no one could match him… and his daughter, the little Poliwag who was so weak she couldn't even hurt a Caterpie. So you finally found a trainer dumb enough to think you're worth something?" As the Raticate's laugh pierced the air again, Poliwag's mouth clenched angrily; not only did the rat in front of her remind her of the past, but he seemed to think that she hadn't changed a bit since then. She had enough.

The tadpole's eyes burned furiously as she leapt into action, leaping up at the trunk of a nearby tree. Poliwag launched herself from the tree on contact, hurling herself bodily at the hairball that dared to insult her. The Raticate looked up at her with some surprise in his eyes as the water-type flew at him, and Poliwag sent herself into a roll, adding still more momentum to her tail as she prepared to deliver the strike.

A resounding crash sounded from the impact as a column of dust and dirt chunks rose from where Poliwag landed. The Raticate, having just barely escaped the Doubleslap, stood to the side, his fanged mouth gaping at the sight of the damage his seemingly harmless opponent had caused. After a few moments, a silhouette became visible in the haze of the dirt cloud; Poliwag slowly emerged from the brown fog, and spoke in an eerily calm voice that did nothing to mask her rage.

"I don't like being reminded of what I was like back then. You might not want to do it again." The tadpole faced down the rat, her fiery eyes narrowing as his surprised look faded. The Raticate's large, toothy mouth formed into a wide, toothy grin as he began to shift into an attacking stance.

"Well, you're not as weak as your reputation says, but there's still no way you can beat me." With that, the rat launched himself forward, smoky black lines emerging from his form as his body became enshrouded in dark energy. Poliwag swung her tail forward as the Raticate closed in, using a Doubleslap to keep his Pursuit attack at bay; tail met skull with a resounding impact, but the normal-type kept moving, managing to shove the tadpole back a few feet before they finally came to a stop.

Even as the dark energy surrounding the Raticate dissipated, he went on the attack again, bringing his own tail up before swinging it down toward Poliwag's head. The water-type sidestepped to the right to avoid the Tail Whip as it crashed into the ground, and responded by launching a Water Gun into the rat's face. A grimace came to the Pokemon's face from the drenching attack, but it clearly didn't hurt him much.

Just as the Water Gun died down somewhat, the Raticate immediately took the opportunity, charging at his smaller opponent and launching her into the air with a Tackle attack. Brushing off the strike as best she could while she sailed up and backwards, Poliwag righted herself in midair, using a downward Water Gun to slow her descent. Just before she could touch earth once more, a brown blur shot towards her.

Poliwag winced as the Quick Attack hammered into her, sending her backward to bounce painfully along the ground. Once the tadpole finally came to a stop, she lifted herself back off of the ground, ignoring the bruises that faded into existence from the impromptu flight. As she looked toward the Raticate, he was coming toward her again, now using a slow, relaxed gait.

"So you've trained a little since I heard of you. Now that's funny, someone like you thinking that you can be strong." Poliwag began firing Water Guns at the still-distant Raticate, but he simply weaved from side to side, allowing the attacks to pass him by. Suddenly, the rat shot forward in another Quick Attack; though Poliwag tried to hit him with a Water Gun, the normal-type simply side-stepped it before closing in and ramming his tail into the tadpole, sending her flying backwards again.

Poliwag slammed painfully back to the ground, sliding a short distance before she finally came to a stop. Her eyes squeezed shut momentarily as the aching from where the Raticate struck and where she hit the ground briefly became overwhelming. After a few seconds, Poliwag did what she could to shake off the pain and began to work her way back upright.

"Pokemon like you can train all you like, and those bleeding heart human trainers can try to convince you that you're special all they want, but it doesn't change anything." Poliwag slowly got back to her feet, only to find the Raticate directly in front of her. Before she could react, the rat lunged again; this time she only fell back for a few moments before the solid trunk of a tree crashed into her from behind.

Poliwag slowly slumped down the tree trunk, eliciting a few winces from the water-type as the rough bark bit into her back. The tadpole took a brief glance down at herself to assess the damage, finding discolored bruises already making themselves known across her front. Poliwag could only sit at the base of the tree helplessly, fighting the growing numbness in her limbs in an attempt to return to her feet.

"I'm sure you can see it. It's a simple, undeniable truth, and it's best that you learn it now." As Poliwag continued to struggle, she looked up, finding the larger Raticate looming over her. Without warning, the rat lunged forward and trapped her body between his jaws, clamping down in a Hyper Fang attack.

Poliwag could only scream in agony as the fangs dug into her, her deceptively resilient skin all that kept them from tearing her apart. The Raticate was undeterred by the tadpole's efforts, going so far as to thrash his head around so that his long, sharp teeth raked across her body painfully. After several long seconds, the Raticate hurled the water-type away, his disdainful whisper filling her ears as she hit the ground.

"A weak Pokemon… is just a weak Pokemon."

Poliwag laid still on the ground for several seconds, when she began to stir once more. With jerky, shaking movements, the tadpole fought the aching shooting through her as she tried to work her way back to her feet. After several failed attempts, Poliwag managed to get her feet back under her, and she slowly began to straighten herself, though sharp bursts of pain continually sought to halt her progress.

Once Poliwag had brought herself upright enough, she turned towards Raticate once more. The rat was in a relaxed pose, the amusement on his face clearly showing that he was willing to watch the tadpole's struggle for as long as it could last. Not intimidated in the least by the rat's dismissive attitude towards her, Poliwag's eyes began to blaze with resolve.

"I don't care what you think, hairball. I've met so many strong Pokemon throughout my life, ones that make you look like nothing." A burst of numbness ran through Poliwag's left leg, almost sending her tumbling to the ground, but the tadpole forced herself to remain upright as she continued.

"Mark's Scyther… my father… I'm going to be strong like them someday, no matter what it takes. However, that'll never happen if I let myself be brought down by some pathetic Raticate like you!" At that, Poliwag drew herself up to her full height, staring down her opponent defiantly.

The Raticate's maw pulled into a snarl, clearly not amused by the water-type's outburst. Poliwag straightened herself again as the rodent began to charge forward, clearly intent on going for the kill this time. The water-type merely held her ground, memories flooding into her mind as her opponents charge seemed to go into slow motion.

_The tiny Poliwag stepped out of the woods, making her way into a clearing with a small river running along one side. A much larger dark blue Pokemon was already there; a distinctive spiral decorated his round torso, and his heavily muscled arms and legs made sharp, powerful strikes at imaginary opponents all around him. After a few moments, the massive Poliwrath noticed the other water-type at the edge of the clearing, and the curiosity in her eyes convinced him to pause his training for the time being._

_"Something on your mind, Raindrop?" Realizing that her father had decided to take a time out to talk, the Poliwag scampered forward until she was directly in front of the Poliwrath. Despite his powerful, imposing presence, the larger water-type's eyes held nothing but love and patience as he looked down at his daughter._

_"Dad, I've been wondering about humans. What are they really like?" The Poliwrath chuckled quietly as he lowered himself to the ground until he was sitting cross-legged; immediately recognizing the gesture, Poliwag hopped into his lap, her inquisitive face looking up at his. The Poliwrath took a deep breath, as he usually did when he was about to launch into an explanation._

_"There's one main thing to know about humans; when you, me, or any other Pokemon look at a tree or a rock, that's what we see: a tree or a rock. When a human looks at a tree or a rock, they see devices and structures we would never even think of. We Pokemon are comfortable with things that have always been: the forests, the mountains, the rivers; humans prefer change, to take what exists and make it into something that they think is better." Poliwag gave a brief nod of understanding as she took in her father's words; after a moment, she spoke up again._

_"Are humans bad?" The Poliwrath grinned proudly at his daughter for a moment as he considered an answer. Eventually, he managed to come up with one._

_"Some are." A chuckle. "Some Pokemon will tell you that they all are. I think that as long as we work with the humans and they work with us, this world will be what it's meant to be."Poliwag nodded slowly at the words before her eyes suddenly widened with a sudden inspiration._

_"So do you really want a human trainer?" Then, almost as suddenly, the look vanished as the water-type almost reluctantly dismissed her own theory. "No, you chase away all the trainers that come looking for you." Instinctively realizing the conversation was nearly over, the Poliwrath stood back up, his massive arms moving Poliwag from his lap to the ground in front of him before he replied._

_"Humans can imagine attacks and training methods for us that we would never even dream of ourselves, but not all of them have what it takes to really bring us to our full potential, such as the trainers that always come trying to catch me. However, I believe that if a Pokemon finds the right human to train them, they can become stronger than they've ever imagined they could be." That got the Poliwag's full attention, and her eyes began to sparkle with delight._

_"Even me?" The Poliwrath's expression grew serious, and he knelt down, placing a wide hand on his daughter's head. His expression showed equal parts of concern and pride as he spoke._

_"You've already shown that you have strength that most other Pokemon could only dream of. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."_

Poliwag's resolve burned as she watched the Raticate draw closer and closer, her mind quickly focusing only on defeating her opponent. Her father was right; if she put what her trainer had taught her to use, she could still win. That was her last thought as the Raticate became close enough to pounce.

Poliwag ducked under the rat's Quick Attack, swinging her tail up to slam into his chin as he sailed overhead. The extra momentum from the tadpole's Doubleslap caused the Raticate's jump to carry him farther than he intended, and he slammed bodily into a nearby tree. A feeble squeak came from the Raticate as he slowly slid down the trunk.

Preparing herself to deliver one last attack, Poliwag braced her battered body as she let a familiar energy flow through her. The water-type cast aside her pain and exhaustion, and launched herself forward as torrents of rushing water began to surround her body. The Raticate had just managed to pull himself together, and he turned to meet the tadpole's charge.

He was too late, and Poliwag's Waterfall attack crushed the hapless rat into the tree trunk a second time. The Raticate's eyes bulged out with the impact of the tadpole's water enshrouded body into his gut. Bits of bark and wood flew through from where the two Pokemon met the tree as it creaked its protest to the collision.

Poliwag landed lightly on the ground as she eyed the Raticate's fallen form with satisfaction. The rodent's entire midsection was developing a massive bruise, and his back was covered in cuts from the flying bits of tree bark. The tadpole blew a raspberry at the rat, with only the blank stare of rolled back eyes and a tongue dangling idly out of a gaping mouth as a response. With that, Poliwag turned back to her search, moving at a somewhat slower pace in acknowledgment of her wounded and exhausted body; however, she found the time to say one last thing before she strode out of sight.

"Who's weak now, hairball?"


	25. I Will Not Abandon Him!

Sorry it's been so long; a combination of classes, work, and WoW kept me from getting back to this story. I'll try and get back to updating it regularly again soon.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 25: Forest Chase Part Five;**

'**I Will Not Abandon Him!'**

High up in the leafy canopy of a thick forest, a powerful wind began to blow, causing even the sturdy trees to sway slightly. The source was a massive column of swirling wind and leaves that reached from the ground to above even the treetops. A large, feathered form could just be seen within the wall of wind, a look of hard determination in her eyes as she sped through the cyclone.

Pidgeotto's stunned body fell through the air, the flying-type having been so disoriented by the Voltorb's Explosion she was having trouble just determining which way was up. As the plummeting bird struggled to recover, the thick branches and sharp twigs of the treetops grew closer and closer. Finally, Pidgeotto managed to regain control of her fall just in time to maneuver her way through the tangle of plant life below her, eventually coming to a stop on a branch just below the forest canopy.

Pidgeotto turned to look back at the cliff she had just fallen from with concern; despite the disorienting blow dealt from the explosion, she had still seen that the rest of her friends had fallen from the cliff just like she did. She knew deep down that all of them could take care of themselves, but that wasn't enough to keep the bird from worrying. Forcing down a sudden wave of panic, Pidgeotto spread her wings wide as she prepared to take off.

"Excuse me, where do you think you're going?" The bird quickly turned to find the source of the new voice, finding a Pokemon slowly hovering through the forest canopy. She was clearly insectlike, but had an almost human build; she had a red exoskeleton, except for the yellow of her chest and the lower half of her face, and her four segmented arms ended in what appeared to be white gloved hands. When she eventually came to a rest on a nearby branch, her translucent wings folded up behind her back and were promptly covered by a red and black shell. As Pidgeotto began to answer the Ledian's question, the bug-type quickly stopped her, holding out one of her many hands in a halting gesture before she spoke.

"No, don't tell me; you're going to find your trainer, this 'Mark' guy I've been hearing so much about, right?" Pidgeotto was only partially successful in her attempt to mask her shock, having realized that the Ledian before her was from Versum. The bird roughly brushed aside her surprise and put on as tough a face as she could manage, fixing the bug with a hard glare.

"So, what do you want?" Pidgeotto was glad that at least her voice came out sounding confident, because she felt anything but confidence at that moment. If the encounter did come to a fight, she would have the type advantage, but the Ledian didn't seem worried in the slightest; in fact, the bug-type seemed almost bored as she considered the bird's question. After a few moments of casual thought, the Ledian spoke up.

"Well, Agent 432 told me to kill you." The words came out in a lazy, matter-of-fact tone, spoken as if the bug would have as little trouble killing Pidgeotto as she had talking about it; however, even as that sunk in, the Ledian continued. "But, I don't really feel like putting in that kind of effort right now, so I got a proposal for you."

Pidgeotto was taken aback by that, both because a Pokemon from Versum was making a deal with her, and because the Ledian was apparently willing to disobey an order from her trainer. However, she needed to find Mark and the others, and she was sure she could manage whatever this Pokemon would ask of her if it meant getting to them faster. With a sharp nod, the bird signaled that she was listening, and the bug-type went on.

"Well, it's pretty simple really. From what I've heard, all Versum is interested in is that trainer of yours; I think the only reason they want you and his other Pokemon dead is so you won't try and interfere with whatever they want him for. So, all you have to do… is never go near that human or his Pokemon again. I doubt Versum will bother to check and make sure that I actually killed you, so you'll get to live and you'll never hear from us again. I know I can trust you to keep your word and, despite what you may think, I assure you that you can trust me to keep mine. So, what do you say?" The surprise in Pidgeotto's face only lasted a moment before the bird's face grew dark.

"Forget it." With that said, Pidgeotto launched herself into the air, swiftly accelerating to her top speed as she closed in on the bug. "If staying loyal to my trainer means you're going to kill me, then go ahead and try!" Wind roared past Pidgeotto as she raced forward in a Quick Attack, keeping a careful eye on her new opponent as she closed in.

Suddenly, Pidgeotto's charge was cut short as she slammed into something hard, causing her to spin from her intended path. The bird quickly righted herself and turned back to the Ledian, only to find the bug-type surrounded by a fading sphere of yellowish energy. Pidgeotto silently berated herself as she realized what happened; Ledians were natural users of Reflect and Light Screen, it should have been obvious that one would have no trouble dealing with direct attacks.

"Ah, good. If that's really the best you can do, I won't have to put much effort into this anyway." With that, the Ledian's wing cases opened, and a dull buzz rang out as the bug-type lazily lifted herself into the air. Pidgeotto held her position in midair, watching her opponent's movements as she frantically thought about what to do.

The Ledian was soon at the same height as Pidgeotto, arms dangling lazily at her sides and that bored expression back on her face. Suddenly, the hum of the Ledian's beating wings grew louder as silver energy began to flow through them. A split second later, the energy burst forward, coming at Pidgeotto in the form of a Silver Wind attack.

The flying-type was just barely faster than the projectile, managing to shoot upward just as the attack passed beneath her. Pidgeotto went back on the offensive immediately, unleashing a twin Gust attack with a powerful flap of her wings. The Ledian didn't even blink as she extended one of her arms, allowing the white energy of a Light Screen to surround her and knock the incoming attacks aside.

Even as her Gust attacks were sent spiraling off into the forest, Pidgeotto continued her assault, launching herself at the bug once more. Once again, wind whistled by as the flying-type began another Quick Attack; as she expected, a sphere of yellow energy came up to block her path as the Ledian brought up another Reflect. The bird banked upwards to avoid the barrier and gave a powerful flap of her wings once she was above the bug, launching a Gust attack straight down.

As the Reflect was only meant to stop physical attacks, the completely energy-based Gust attack went through it easily. However, the Ledian was undaunted, hovering out of the attack's path without even a change in her expression. The burst of white energy continued on, its impact with the forest floor giving a dull thud just as the bug-type went back on the attack.

After flipping herself so that her front was facing upward, the Ledian unleashed another Silver Wind from her wings. The silver energy blazed through the air, quickly making its way into Pidgeotto's path. Though the flying-type tried to evade the attack, she didn't have room to maneuver, and the Silver Wind attack slammed into her, eliciting pained groans from the bird as the small bits of energy cut into her.

Though the force of the blow forced Pidgeotto up slightly, it wasn't long before the stunned bird was falling again, plummeting toward the unforgiving earth at dizzying speeds. The flying-type tried frantically to reorient herself, though her efforts were hindered by the numerous branches that almost seemed to reach out and strike her as she fell past them. With a sudden burst of movement, Pidgeotto managed to break out of her fall and turn so that she was facing her insectoid opponent once more.

When she realized that the Ledian wasn't bothering to come after her just yet, Pidgeotto used the time to consider her opponent. As powerful a defense as Reflect and Light Screen were, they required a great deal of concentration to maintain. If she could only find a way to put enough of a strain on the Ledian's defenses, she could break the bug-type's control over them, finally giving her a chance to counterattack.

With her new battle plan in mind, Pidgeotto flew up towards the Ledian, all the while inspecting the surrounding area to ensure that she would have enough room to do what she was planning. As the bird came near the bug-type's height, she quickly changed course, and began to circle around her opponent. Bit by bit, Pidgeotto began to gain speed, her form vanishing into a gold and brown blur as she raced in an upward spiral.

Within moments, powerful winds began to come up from the movements of the speeding Pokemon. A massive Whirlwind quickly formed, enveloping the still hovering Ledian, who threw up a Light Screen in response. The air became filled with the sounds of roaring winds and the frantic rustling of entire treefuls of leaves as the Whirlwind pulled them from the ground as well as from nearby trees.

It quickly became difficult for Pidgeotto to see her opponent through the rampaging winds she had created. However, what little she could see made it clear that the Ledian had yet to take any real damage through the barrier she had brought up. Wind, leaves, and other debris continuously obscured the bird's view of the inside of her Whirlwind, so she didn't see what was coming when she felt a powerful blow driven into her.

As the impact forced Pidgeotto out of her Whirlwind, she found the Ledian with a fist buried into her side in what was clearly a Mach Punch. The bug-type did seem winded from holding back the bird's last attack, but that didn't seem to be nearly enough to stop her. The Ledian finally jerked her fist from Pidgeotto's body, but that was of little comfort as the bug positioned her arms in what was clearly preparation for her next attack.

The next several moments went by in slow motion as the Ledian's Comet Punch seemed to smash into her entire body all at once. Blow after blow pounded into her, each hit sending waves of pain throughout her form even as the next strike buried itself into her. Her face, her wings, her body, every part of Pidgeotto felt like it was being pummeled at the same time; the fact that the wind was constantly forced out of her to the point that she couldn't even breathe was all that kept her from screaming.

After what seemed like an eternity, the assault abruptly ended with a vicious hook that sent the bird plummeting to the earth once more. This time, there was nothing to stop her fall, and her body was far too wracked with pain to even consider stopping herself. Within moments, the ground rushed up at Pidgeotto, and a thunderous crash punctuated by a pillar of dust mark her impact with the forest floor.

* * *

The Ledian set down lightly on the ground near her fallen opponent, giving a light sigh as she did so. The bug-type had never really liked having to exert herself much, so she was more appreciative of having a trainer and not having to constantly fight for food or survival than most Pokemon were. Because of that, she was willing to do whatever she had to for her trainer, as long as it didn't involve fighting too often; of course, if she could manage to complete her missions without force, that was great, but if she had to subdue or even kill, that was fine too.

And of course, that overly-loyal Pidgeotto just had to make things difficult. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have too much actual fighting experience, even if the bird had been tougher than she expected; that Whirlwind attack alone had taken a lot more out of her than she cared to admit. The Ledian grinned at the small crater with satisfaction, waiting for the dust to settle so she could ensure that the Pidgeotto was dead.

Suddenly, there was a movement somewhere in the still swirling clouds of dust. Suddenly, a feathered figure burst haphazardly from the haze, dark bruises all over her body clearly visible even through her feathers. Pidgeotto stumbled slightly as she made her way forward, but she managed to pull herself to an upright position in front of her opponent; the Ledian couldn't help but take an involuntary step back at the sight of her opponent taking what should have been a fatal attack and getting back up again. The shock soon gave way to frustration, and the bug-type couldn't help but burst out in aggravation.

"Why are you getting back up? What could possibly be so important that you would go this far? You couldn't beat me when this fight started, so surely you know that can't beat me like you are now." The Ledian was quickly silenced when Pidgeotto lifted her head so that the two were face to face. Despite the bird's bruised, wounded, and seemingly useless body, her eyes were hardened with a determination and ferocity that made the bug-type shrink back.

"I may still be new to battling, but my trainer needs me. I know that he needs me to beat strong opponents like you, and I will not let him down, especially not here. I don't care how strong your defenses are, or how many attacks you hit me with, or how many times you offer to let me live. No matter what happens… I will not abandon him!"

With that, Pidgeotto gave two powerful flaps of her wings, sending out two Gust attacks; however, the projectiles went wide, going up into the canopy of the forest. The Ledian forced herself to calm down, telling herself that no matter how tough the bird talked, there was still no way she could win; after all, that last attack proved that she couldn't even aim straight anymore. The bug-type drew herself into a fighting stance, preparing to deliver one final attack on the flying-type before her.

The Ledian's movements were cut short when she heard a crashing sound coming from above her. Quickly turning her head up to find the cause, the bug-type found an avalanche of thick branches coming down at her. Giving a distasteful grimace at having to put forth still more effort, the Ledian quickly brought up a Reflect hold back the bombardment.

Though the Reflect was more than able to hold back the foliage crashing into it, keeping the barrier intact was quickly beginning to take more concentration than she could manage. With branch after branch piling up, it wasn't long before pain seemed to flare through the Ledian's mind as keeping up the Reflect became too much for her. With that barrier gone, the branches and debris that had piled up above her immediately caved in, burying her.

The Ledian was tough though, managing to push away enough of the debris to give herself room to tunnel her way upward through it. It took a few minutes, but the bug-type forced her head through the type of the pile, breathing heavily from exertion. However, the Ledian's attempts to take in more oxygen were interrupted by a flapping of wings accompanied by faint grunts of pain.

The bug-type looked up just in time to see a feathery figure racing at her, that frightening determination still burning in her eyes. Pain ratcheted its way through the Ledian's body as Pidgeotto clotheslined her with a Wing Attack, sending the bug flying backward. The insectoid Pokemon groaned as she painfully crashed into the earth, but managed to wrench her eyes back open to catch sight of her opponent taking to the sky before turning back in her direction.

The Ledian forced herself to stand once more, looking up at her feathered opponent as she began to dive downward. Preparing to meet the bird's attack, the bug-type began to bring up another Reflect. However, nothing happened; even as the Ledian kept trying, she simply couldn't concentrate enough to use her defensive moves.

Pidgeotto continued to close in, and the Ledian retaliated by opening her wing cases, allowing familiar silver energy to flow through her humming wings. With a desperate yell, the bug-type launched a Silver Wind attack at the still approaching bird, shuddering slightly from coaxing still more energy from her already weakened body. However, as wave of energy approached Pidgeotto, the speeding flying-type tore through the attack like it was nothing.

Her first two attempts to stop the bird having failed, the Ledian pulled herself into a fighting stance, clenching her fists as she prepared to knock the flying-type out of the sky. However, as Pidgeotto closed in, the bug-type froze up as she locked eyes with the bird. The last thing the Ledian saw were a pair of avian eyes, hardened with a terrifying determination, before a blinding pain sent her into unconsciousness.

* * *

Pidgeotto slid bonelessly across the ground, her body too weak to even control her flight after putting the rest of her effort into the Quick Attack that finally brought down her opponent. The bird slowly came to a stop just within view of the fallen Ledian. As Pidgeotto relished in her victory, she considered what the bug-type had told her about Versum and their intentions; it wasn't much, but it was definitely something worth telling the others.

After several minutes, Pidgeotto finally felt recovered enough to get back to her feet. However, she was still too weak to fly well, so she had no choice but to continue her search in a somewhat awkward walk. As she began to set off, she caught sight of the still-unconscious Ledian, and felt the need to say one last thing before she left.

"Make sure you tell your friends at Versum this: don't ever try to keep me from my trainer."


	26. I Have a New Purpose!

Sorry about the delay, I... okay, I don't really have an excuse. :P Anyway, I would like to thank those of you still reading this thing, and I hope you enjoy this last chapter before the conclusion of this story arc.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 26: Forest Chase Part Six;**

'**I Have a New Purpose!'**

Though the area had been a forest that had barely even seen fighting before then, it was impossible to guess that now. The trees had so many chunks gouged out of them that they were nearly unrecognizable as trees. Bits of bark and leaves cluttered the forest floor, and in some places, clouds of flying debris still hung in the air. Suddenly, the largest of these clouds parted as a figure leapt out of it; the being raced through the chaos, its eyes hardened and resolute.

Scyther couldn't help but be annoyed as he fell through the air. How could he have been caught off guard by that? That attack was so obvious! An irritated look spread across the bug-type's face as he crossed into the canopy of the forest beneath him, deftly twisting his body in midair to effortlessly avoid the errant branches as they rushed past him. After a few moments, the mantis spread his wings, beating them just fast enough to slow his descent. By the time he reached the earth, his speed had dropped enough that he touched ground with barely a sound to mark the event.

As Scyther began to inspect his new surroundings, he briefly considered going back up to the plateau to deal with the Versum cowards that knocked him down into the forest. He immediately amended himself, though; the explosion was clearly meant to separate the group, which also meant that the fight would come to him soon enough.

Suddenly, Scyther tilted his neck to the side, allowing a small projectile to shoot past his head and bury itself in a nearby tree trunk with a distinct 'thud'. The mantis took a look at the object, identifying it as one of the strengthened and sharpened leaves of a Razor Leaf attack. Scyther turned toward the source of the shot, speaking in a bored and slightly sarcastic tone as he did.

"I sure hope that was a warning shot, because it would be quite a disappointment to go against someone who can get this close without me noticing, only for their attacks to be as obvious as an angry Rhydon." When the mantis had turned around completely, he found the source to be a green Pokémon slightly shorter than himself. The newcomer had white, petallike growths for hair that waved slightly above his slightly narrowed eyes, and at the ends of arms that were extended slightly in a sort of pre-fighting stance were colored growths that looked slightly like flower bouquets.

"I intend to fight you fairly, but I also wanted to ensure that you wouldn't make for a disappointing battle before we start. I am pleased that you escaped that attack unharmed." Scyther quickly inspected the Roserade standing across from him, determining that the grass-type was easily capable of far better than the attack he had just dodged. The bug-type quickly tensed as the Bouquet Pokémon's body shifted, just as he began speaking again.

"I am the most powerful Pokémon of Versum Agent 407; my apologies, but by order of both my master and Versum, I have to kill you." Just as the Roserade finished speaking, he lashed both stemlike arms forward and out to his sides, sending around a dozen razor-sharp leaves hurtling in Scyther's direction.

The mantis quickly shot to his right, leaving the rain of projectiles to crash into the trees that had been behind him. As soon as the bug-type was clear of the attack, he lunged forward and began to race toward the grass-type. The Roserade reacted quickly, pointing an arm at Scyther and swinging it upwards, launching a spray of needles in the direction of the mantis.

Scyther ducked to the side, allowing the Pin Missile attack to fly past him, ignoring the series of crashes and the showering of bark as the assault struck the trees in its path. The sudden attack only slowed the mantis for a moment, and he quickly started on the Roserade again. The grass-type had other plans, as he swung an arm in front of himself, allowing the flowerlike growth on the end of his arm to release a cloud of yellow dust into the air.

Immediately recognizing the substance as Stun Spore, Scyther had no choice but to back off. Having counted on that reaction, the Roserade pressed his assault, unleashing another flurry of Razor Leaves that forced Scyther further back, and then another. After a few moments, Scyther charged to his right as he began to circle around the grass-type instead. The Roserade continued to follow the bug-type's movements, sending numerous Razor Leaves and Pin Needles after the mantis.

Shards of wood and bark flew through the air as the various attacks slammed into the tree trunks that dotted the area. In several places, the debris filled the air to the point that it seemed to form clouds that effectively obscured the mantis that raced through them. Suddenly, one of the clouds began to swirl, just before a large, green form burst from it. With a determined look in his eyes, Scyther lunged at the Roserade once more.

Once again, the Bouquet Pokémon swung his left arm around, sending a cloud of sickly yellow in the bug-type's direction. This time, Scyther circled around to the grass-type's left and brought up a bladed arm as he prepared to strike. However, the Roserade was ready for that reaction and quickly spun, swinging his right arm around to launch several small, dark projectiles at the mantis.

Scyther shot upwards to avoid the Toxic Spikes attack as it sailed through the spot he had vacated split seconds before. Again, the Roserade continued his assault, slinging another Razor Leaf attack at the newly airborne Pokémon. Scyther quickly turned so that his feet touched the underside of a branch just above him, then kicked off of it to launch himself towards earth. The sharpened leaves went by a split-second later, tearing through the very same branch to send it crashing down.

The bug-type's feet hit the ground with enough force to cause a noticeable 'thud', but he kept moving, quickly making another attempt to close in on the Bouquet Pokemon. Scyther grit his teeth in frustration; this Roserade obviously preferred long-range combat, but he was well-trained in repelling virtually anything that tried to get in close. Obviously he would need something that could force the grass-type's attention from him just long enough so that he could get at him. Scyther had an odd feeling that he already knew something that could do just that, but he couldn't quite place his blades on it.

As the mantis raced forward, a barrage of leaves coming at his right side forced him to move toward the left, when he felt the sharp pain of stepping on something that stabbed deeply into his foot. With a frustrated grunt, Scyther remembered the Toxic Spikes attack that the Roserade had thrown earlier, which had likely been spread over much of the battlefield already. Turning aside all thoughts of what this new development meant, Scyther ducked beneath another Razor Leaf assault and turned to begin circling to his right again.

The bug-type's dash was cut short when a flood of now-familiar, sickly purple objects cut off his path. Unfortunately, the poison infecting his body had already slowed his reflexes just enough that he had a foot in the field of Toxic Spikes before he could manage to stop himself. Scyther forced back a wince as he hurled himself backward, just as another line of Pin Missiles hurtled through the air he had just left.

Another barrage of Razor Leaves came rushing at Scyther. This time, however, he was too late to avoid it, and the bladed projectiles cut long gouges where they managed to find him, their sharpness allowing them to pierce even his bug-type armor. Scyther recomposed himself just quickly enough to notice a second volley of Razor Leaves headed his way, and hurled himself to the left to avoid them.

The mantis wasted no time getting back to his feet, ignoring the pain that emanated from his open wounds as he continued to move around. Scyther quickly looked up, returning his gaze to his grass-type opponent as soon as he could; however, it seemed that his haste was unnecessary, as the Roserade had stopped completely, apparently waiting for the bug-type to make his next move. A long silence passed, broken only by Scyther's heavy breathing and the slow dripping of blood down his body. Eventually, the mantis spoke, addressing a concern that he had only now realized that he had.

"The other Pokémon that Versum sent out, are they as strong as you?" The heavy panting that had filled the clearing stopped as soon as the question was out, a depth of concern that surprised even him causing Scyther to hold his breath as he waited uneasily for an answer. A seeming eternity of listening to his blood trickling to the grass beneath him finally ceased when the Roserade finally replied.

"There is one other Pokémon among us on my level. Since I'm sure you wish to know where he is, I am reasonably certain that he will engage the Marowak that was found with your group." As Scyther gave a small sigh of relief, the grass-type continued. "I don't see why that makes a difference; our research on your group indicated that they would still be no match for the Pokémon we have sent after them."

"Yeah, go ahead and tell yourself that." Scyther was standing once again, a predatory grin on his face as he faced down his opponent. Fighting against the spreading poison as it sapped at his strength, the mantis launched himself into the air, weaving about in as unpredictable path as he could as he made his way toward the Roserade.

Bladed leaves flew past Scyther as the Bouquet Pokémon he was charging towards continued his attacks. Fortunately, the bug-type's erratic flying was enough to evade the constant volleys, but getting in close was going to be another story. And not only that, but the poison in his body was causing it to burn with pain that was growing more and more difficult to ignore.

"_Shatterblade, look at this!__"_

Scyther shook his head forcefully as he quickly turned his attention back to the battle. This was no time to be thinking about old memories! Weaving around another barrage, the mantis turned straight towards the Roserade and began to close in. First dodging a Razor Leaf, and then a Pin Missile, Scyther finally found himself face-to-face with his opponent.

The bug-type's left scythe came around in a forceful Slash attack, a trail of glowing white energy trailing in its wake. However, the Roserade was faster, circling to the outside of the swipe before rearing back his right arm. As the grass-type's arm shot out, Scyther noticed the sickly purple glow surrounding it just in time to begin twisting his body out of the way.

His control over his flight completely shattered by the sudden maneuver, Scyther crashed to the ground, tumbling across the forest floor by the momentum. The bug-type just barely caught sight of the field of Toxic Spikes before he could reach it, and managed to push himself into the air with enough force that he cleared the hazard before colliding into the ground again.

Scyther slowly made his way back to his feet, occasionally having to force his limbs to hold firm as they threatened to collapse out from under him. The mantis grimaced when he was halfway there, noticing a sudden and acute burning pain in his side where the Roserade's Poison Jab had just passed by; apparently, the attack grazed him enough to be effective after all.

Once Scyther was upright once more, he turned toward his grass-type opponent just in time to find another storm of Razor Leaves hurtling toward him. Slowed down as he was by the poison, the mantis had no choice but to take the attack, forcing himself to hold his ground as blade after blade ripped through him, coaxing more and more blood from his body. Finally, the attack ended, leaving Scyther with long gashes all over his body and trails of red seeming to nearly cover him. After a brief pause, the mantis tipped forwards, and fell to the earth with what seemed to be a deafening 'thud'.

"This was a good fight; I'll give you that much." Scyther struggled to regain control of his body from the numerous variations of pain that seemed to paralyze it as the Roserade continued. "However, I am a specially trained Pokémon of the Versum Syndicate. Even if you are one of the more powerful Pokémon in this area, I'm afraid that someone like you… is simply no match for us."

"Hate to disappoint, but there's a reason I can't lose here." Scyther slowly began to stand up, ignoring the blood that continued to steadily drip from his body. "I don't care about the rest of the Pokémon that have been sent after my comrades; if they really aren't on your level, then they'll fail anyway. However, you're like me, aren't you? You won't stop until this mission of yours to kill them is completed, and you're strong enough to do it, too. If I let you win, they die. Simple as that."

"I really think I should point out that the outcome of this fight is well out of your control now." Scyther only grinned at the Roserade's interruption, managing to finally pull himself to his full height before he continued.

"And why is that? Because of this poison? Because of these wounds? Sorry, but they mean nothing to me right now; the man and the Pokémon that you're targeting are the first ones I've known in a long time that I could call friends. Hit me with anything you want, because if it means protecting them, nothing you can do even matters!" With that, Scyther stepped towards his opponent with a shaking leg, and lifted his torn and bloody arms in a fighting stance.

Scyther focused his blurry vision on the Roserade before him as best he could as he attempted to come up with a plan to counterattack. If he could only find a way to distract him from a distance for even a moment, he should be able to get in an attack decisive enough to end the fight. He didn't know much about ranged fighting, but for some reason, he had a strange feeling that he already knew what to do…

"_Shatterblade…__"_

Wait! That was it!

_It seemed like an entire lifetime ago; while he still lived with his swarm, and before he had even heard of Shredd. He lived in the forest between Cerulean City and the north Rock Tunnel entrance, living a life as close to peaceful as a Scyther warrior would ever be comfortable with._

"_Shatterblade! Come look at this!__"_

_And there was Nightstrike, named because of her quiet thoughtfulness when she was young, a trait that the elder members of the swarm thought would carry over into her fighting style when she was grown. No one ever found out whether that prediction was right or not, as she preferred not to fight. Of course, most people and even Pokémon tended to think that meant she would be shunned by a battle-hungry Scyther swarm, but that couldn't be further from the truth._

"_I found another page in Cerulean; this one has some information in it that I think you'll be interested in!__"_

_Nightstrike was smart; without a doubt the smartest Scyther ever to be part of the swarm. She often deduced the best places for the swarm to hunt for food, the sturdiest shelters in which to protect themselves from the elements, and ingenious ways to benefit from the presence of humans without having to actually take on human trainers. Not only that, but she had somehow managed to learn how to read human language; no one knew how she did it, and no one was really interested enough to bother asking._

_She would constantly make her way to the places where humans lived, usually Cerulean or Bolt City, to search for pieces of literature thrown away by humans. She would bring back newspapers, bits of Pokémon encyclopedias, and old trainer's manuals. Most of the Scyther in the swarm didn't think too much of the human knowledge Nightstrike brought with her, but he was intrigued._

_That interest led to the beginning of a strong friendship between himself and Nightstrike. She would tell him things about Pokémon and techniques that she found out from what she read, and he would tell her about observations he made of various plants and Pokémon during his hunts. And one day, during one of those exchanges..._

"_It seems that the humans have come up with special training that lets Scyther learn a powerful ranged attack!__"_

He must've forgotten what he learned that day because he preferred close combat, but there wasn't a choice now. If he was going to protect the friends he still had, he was going to have to use what he learned from the one he had lost. Scyther lifted a blade into the air, focusing his energy into it just as Nightstrike had taught him so long ago.

Ignoring the bemused look the Roserade gave him as he silently looked on, Scyther struggled to remember the steps in performing the attack in time to do them effectively. Finally, Scyther swung his glowing blade, launching a crescent-shaped blade of silver energy at the plant-type before him.

The Silver Wind attack sped toward Roserade as Scyther momentarily paused to catch his breath after the effort he put into the projectile. The blade of energy began to close in, when the grass-type swung a flowerlike arm around to brush the attack aside, causing it to silently disperse. After a small disappointed sigh, the Roserade turned to Scyther.

"That was interesting, but not very impressive. I'm sorry, but I should really get to killing you now." With a grunt of effort, the Bouquet Pokémon forcefully swung a stemlike arm, unleashing a massive Leaf Storm that covered the entire area several feet to each side of Scyther. The whistle of wind was all that could be heard as hundreds of bladed projectiles closed in on the mantis.

Scyther grit his teeth as he faced down the widespread attack, lifting his blade for another effort. If the last attack didn't work, he would just launch another one! With a yell of both pain and exertion, Scyther swung his blade heavily at the Leaf Storm attack that closed in on him.

_Mark and the others, they're my purpose now! As long as I'm alive, I will protect them from anything that dares to threaten them!_

_

* * *

_The Silver Wind attack was larger and more solid looking this time, and easily tore through the leaves of the Roserade's Leaf Storm. As the previously fatal attack was tossed harmlessly aside, the silvery blade kept on going, straight for the Bouquet Pokémon himself. The Roserade held his ground firmly, preparing to shove the attack aside with his right arm just as he did before. However, the Silver Wind wasn't even slowed by the grass-type's efforts, and tore a large gash in his arm as it passed by, the force causing him to backpedal for a few steps.

By the time the Roserade had managed to steady himself again, it was already too late. The grass-type could only widen his eyes in shock as the almost demonic mantis loomed before him; his entire body dripped with blood like some nightmarish beast, and his eyes glinted with seemingly unnatural levels of resolve and fury. The Scyther's pointed teeth glinted as his mouth curled into a vicious smirk, and his blades were glowing an eerie green as they both slashed forward in unison.

The X-Scissor ripped across the Roserade's left side, tearing open two long, ragged wounds in the Pokémon's torso. As the Scyther skidded to a stop behind him, the grass-type could only hunch forward, eyes screwed shut from the pain as blood began to trickle down his side. After a long, silent moment, the Roserade finally collapsed, falling to his knees before crashing face-first into the torn-up earth. Behind him, the Scyther stopped his heavy breathing for a moment to speak, his voice still firm and powerful despite clearly holding back the pain from his numerous injuries.

"I should… really thank you for this fight; I learned the answer… to a question I've been asking myself for a long time. That attack shouldn't kill someone like you; if your trainer is competent, he'll find you before it can become life-threatening." The Roserade gave a wheezing, but sincere chuckle as he struggled to turn himself over to his back; it took several long moments, but he finally managed it. After a few more gasping breaths, he finally replied.

"I see, so you have a lot more determination in you than any of us gave you credit for; I have no excuses for this loss." The grass-type slowly turned his head so that his eyes locked with those of the mantis, showing nothing but respect and sincerity in them. "After such an honorable fight, I would never be able to live with myself if I didn't tell you this. By beating me, Versum will most likely begin to see you as a Pokémon worth seeking out for experimentation. They won't just be after your trainer anymore; they will now seek you out as well."

There was a brief pause as Scyther considered what he was just told before he turned back to the Roserade. The bug-type and the grass-type exchanged a few last silent words before the mantis turned away. Scyther walked slowly into the forest, occasionally having to prop himself up on the trees along his path. Just before he left the Roserade's sight, he stopped and made one last statement.

"You were strong, but I can't lose against someone who is a threat to my friends."


	27. Bone Keeper's Hunt and Aftermath!

Last chapter of the current story arc; hope you all have enjoyed it.

CrisscrossAnime, glad to hear you like this story. Regarding hearing some things from the Pokemon's point of view, I think I'll recommend another story that has a lot of that. 'Never in the Wrong Time or Wrong Place' is another story that has a great deal of the story in Pokemon POV; Griff4815 focuses more on drama than I do, so that's something if you're big on that.

Anyway, here we go.

* * *

**Mastering a New Start**

**Chapter 27: Forest Chase Part Seven;**

**Bone Keeper's Hunt and Aftermath!**

The night had fallen completely, covering everything in a veil of inky black. The only thing that made an attempt to break through the gloom was a dimming light held by a lone figure with a posture slumped in exhaustion stumbling along a worn path. The form began to collapse at one point, but an arm shot out almost reflexively to brace itself against a tree. Despite its obvious fatigue, the figure barely stopped for a moment before continuing on.

Fortunately, Mark and Jolteon didn't come across any opposition after beating the Primeape that had apparently been sent after them. The trainer was certainly not up for another fight just yet, as his legs burned from walking nonstop after an already exhausting battle. Jolteon wasn't faring too well either, as the last-ditch attack she used to defeat the fighting-type seemed to have taken more out of her than Mark had expected; he eventually had to recall the tiring electric-type in order to keep going.

However, there was no sign of any of Mark's other Pokémon either. In fact, there wasn't much of anything around him other than forest. The field of trees stretched in all directions, and if any Pokémon did happen to be in any of them, they were hidden well enough that Mark couldn't detect any trace of them.

After several minutes of walking, Mark came across signs of a very recent battle. Thick, deep gashes were dug into a few trees, there were spots everywhere where dirt had been torn up, and scorch marks littered the landscape. The trainer was just beginning to look around for the participants when he heard the unmistakable sound of a blunt weapon against flesh. Mark quickly turned to follow the sound past a nearby wall of foliage, and burst through it into a large clearing.

* * *

Five minutes earlier, two Pokémon burst through that same shrubbery into that same clearing. One figure was dark orange with lizard features, and he was viciously swinging the sharp claws on his forearms and the scorching fire at the tip of his tail hoping to strike his opponent. The other figure had some lizardlike qualities, but this one was a sandy brown color with a bone white head; his face held a more subdued ferocity, and seemed content to hold off his opponent's attacks with the bone he was using as a makeshift club.

As the two combatants landed in the clearing, they quickly broke away from each other, rolling across the soft earth for a short distance before springing back to their feet. For a few moments, the two stood their ground, each sizing up their opponent. Both Pokemon's breathing came deeply, both of them having taken a few injuries from the fighting they had done already; the Marowak had a few scorch marks and the Charmeleon had bruises developing in several places. The fire-type was just readying himself to attack, when the Pokemon before him casually spoke up.

"So, what do you want with the human?" The Charmeleon scoffed at the question, giving a derisive snort before he replied.

"Even if I knew what my masters want with him, why would I tell you?" Despite the less than cooperative response, the Marowak merely smirked, as though he were already expecting that answer.

"Just thought I'd ask, though it doesn't really matter either way. If you guys want him, I'm going to make sure you don't get him."

The Charmeleon, having lost all patience, opened his maw to unleashing a stream of raging flames at the Bone Keeper. Boneyard was faster though, dodging the blazing Flamethrower with an effortless sidestep. With an angry snarl, the Flame Pokemon continued his assault by spewing another torrent of fire at the Marowak, this time in the wide, twisting shape of a Fire Spin.

Boneyard lifted his bone club toward the incoming attack and, with a single smooth swipe, slashed through the flame with enough force to make it scatter and fade. A few embers managed to land on the ground in a few places, but the nearby plant life was, fortunately, all much too green to burn that easily. Having evaded the Charmeleon's attack, Boneyard turned back towards him, a mocking sneer on his face.

"Funny, I figured a Pokemon sent after me by Versum would know that they would have to do a lot better than that." The Marowak extended an arm toward the fire-type, beckoning to him in a 'Come and get me' gesture. "Try again, and don't embarrass yourself this time."

His already boiling anger having been stoked still further by his infuriating opponent, the Charmeleon was all too quick to take the invitation. With as much of a roar as a Pokemon of his size could manage, the fire-type leapt forward at the Bone Keeper, releasing another blazing Flamethrower as he closed in. Boneyard held his ground as the Charmeleon charged at him, a subtle fury evident in his features.

Just as the streams of flame were about to reach him, Boneyard flung his bone club into the incoming assault, causing the flames to harmlessly disperse around him. The Bonemerang attack kept on going, forcing the Charmeleon to end his Flamethrower so he could duck out of the projectile's path. However, the fire-type continued to close in, and quickly found himself in melee range of his opponent.

Having gotten too close to the Marowak to effectively use most of his fire-based attacks, the Charmeleon chose instead to lash out with his claws, wreathing them in silver energy as he did so. The Metal Claw went wide though, the ground-type ducking to the inside of the attack before launching a punch of his own. Pure reflex saved the fire-type, causing him to backpedal just far enough for the strike to come up short of its target.

The Marowak didn't let the failed attack stop him though, as he pressed his attack with another punch. The Charmeleon's quickness came into play again as he managed to catch the Bone Keeper's arm by the wrist, stopping the attack; the Flame Pokemon attempted to follow up with another Metal Claw, but following the fire-type's example, Boneyard caught the Charmeleon's arm in mid-attack as well. For a few long moments, the two Pokemon held their positions, each attempting to overpower the other.

As the struggle continued, the Charmeleon soon heard the whistling sound of something flying through the air behind him. Instantly realizing the position his opponent had maneuvered him into, the fire-type let go of the Marowak's wrist and twisted himself so that he was facing the area behind him. As he reached out in an attempt to snatch his opponent's approaching weapon out of the air, his arm that was still in Boneyard's grasp was whipped downward, sending the Charmeleon crashing face first into the ground.

As quickly as he could regain his bearings, the fire-type pulled his head from the earth to look up, finding his opponent standing over him with his weapon back in hand. Out of desperation, the Charmeleon unleashed another stream of flames at the Bone Keeper. Though the Marowak dodged the assault with little difficulty, it accomplished what the orange lizard had intended, having forced the ground-type to back off long enough for him to get back to his feet.

"So, that's all you got, then? What a disappointment; at least that Scyther had enough drive to make the fight interesting." The Charmeleon heard the dissatisfied words before he was completely up, and by the time he was facing forward again, the Marowak was already there. The fire-type tried to attack, to defend himself, something, but the attack had already begun.

Boneyard was a blur when he closed in on his adversary, the arm holding his weapon drawing back as he prepared to strike. In a symphony of blows, the bone club thrust out numerous times seemingly all at once to smash into the Charmeleon all over his face and torso. After a few moments of the Bone Rush attack, the fire-type was caught in the chest by a brutal swing of the club that sent him falling backwards.

A thick arm hammered into the Charmeleon as he dropped, crushing him to the earth once again. Unable to move through both the pain and the powerful arm still holding him down, the fire-type could only look up, finding the Marowak nonchalantly sitting over him, his form silhouetted against the briefly uncovered sun with one arm grasping his club that he had slung across his shoulders. Without warning, the downed lizard was grasped by the neck and pulled up until he was face-to-face with a grim-faced Bone Keeper.

"Now, there's been something I've wanted to know, and I think I'll see if you can tell me. Now, I like this name you Versum guys have dubbed me with, and how you have it presented; ''Boneyard' the Marowak: wanted alive for one thousand dollars', it's a kind of attention that a warrior can appreciate, I think. However, having to constantly deal with your black-suited idiots is really getting aggravating." The Marowak's face darkened further as he pulled in the Charmeleon even closer, the subtle anger burning behind his eyes becoming more and more evident as he continued speaking. "Now… who is the son of a Muk sending you all after me?!"

Rather than answering, the Charmeleon began to build up heated embers in the back of his throat, keeping the activity hidden behind bared teeth. However, the moment he opened his maw to unleash the Flamethrower, his neck was roughly jerked to the side, forcing the fire stream to fly in a direction that didn't involve his opponent. After a few moments, the fire-type stopped his attack, and immediately felt his neck being turned to the side again.

"Wrong answer," was all the Charmeleon heard before he saw a large bone club swing towards his face, and then all went black.

* * *

Mark finished forcing his way through the foliage and into the clearing just as a red-orange lizard hit the ground, unconscious. Moving into a guarded stance, the trainer eyed the still-standing Pokemon with its back to him, trying to determine whether the creature was friend or foe. After a few moments, the Pokemon turned around, and Mark instantly recognized the Marowak he had met just before the Versum agents appeared. The human remained slightly wary, but he was able to mostly relax as he addressed the ground-type.

"That guy was from Versum wasn't he? Thank you for stopping him; after the fight I was just in, I don't think I would've been able to take him myself." The Marowak nodded in acceptance of the gratitude, but Mark noticed several dark looks the Bone Keeper cast in the downed Charmeleon's direction as well, and quickly determined that the Marowak had his own reasons for fighting. Hoping that the conclusion he had just jumped to wasn't completely off target, Mark spoke up again.

"You don't like these Versum guys either, do you? Y'know, if you come with me, we can help you; not to mention that, the way things have been going for us, you'll get plenty of chances at 'em, too." The Marowak didn't take long to think about the idea, quickly rejecting it with a shake of his head; Mark wasn't particularly surprised by the reaction as he continued. "I figured not, just thought I'd ask."

After a moment to nod respectfully to each other, Mark and the Marowak walked out of the clearing, each following a separate path back into the forest. The trainer had decided that he would continue on to Vermillion City and hope that his Pokemon would get the same idea. As Mark walked, he fingered the empty pokeballs on his belt worriedly, his thoughts going out to the friends that he could do absolutely nothing to help.

Fortunately, Mark's idea of continuing on his previous path was a good one, as it wasn't long before he conveniently started to come across his Pokemon. First finding Poliwag, then Onix, and then Pidgeotto, the trainer was grateful to see that, while they were exhausted and had injuries that made it clear that they had just been in a serious fight, they didn't seem to be in any immediate danger. Just to be safe, though, he recalled them to their pokeballs soon after finding them.

Mark continued on down the path with a considerably brightened mood after finding Pidgeotto. It was true that Scyther was still missing, but the mantis was more than capable of taking care of himself, and his tracking abilities were superior to any other Pokemon on Mark's team. The trainer had no doubt that he would cross paths with the bug-type again soon enough.

After several more minutes of walking, Mark was stopped when a patch of foliage in front of him began to rustle. With only that for warning, a slouched figure burst out of the bushes, its red and green-streaked form stumbling into the trainer's path. Looking as it did, it took Mark a few moments before the horrible realization of just who stood before him sunk in.

Mark rushed toward the heavily injured Scyther as he began to tip over, just managing to catch the bug-type before he hit the ground. As he examined Scyther's shredded and battered body, Mark felt a growing cold in the pit of his stomach as his mental list of the mantis' injuries grew longer and longer. His exoskeleton was riddled with long, ragged gashes that leaked enough blood that his entire form was streaked with it. Not only that, but a number of the wounds were also oozing a sickly purple fluid, something he recognized as being a symptom of severe poisoning.

Forcing himself to keep from shaking in anxiety, Mark searched his backpack, finally producing an Antidote spray. As the trainer applied the healing substance to the half-conscious Pokemon, his mind raced as he thought about what to do. There wasn't much he could do to help Scyther at the moment; the Antidote he was using wasn't intended for cases this bad, and it was unlikely to do much more than slow the spread of the poison.

Mark recalled Scyther to his pokeball, glad that the sphere's properties would also help slow the deterioration of Scyther's condition as long as he remained inside. The trainer's face hardened as he looked down the road, realizing that Vermillion City and the Pokemon Center there were still some distance away. There would be no time for breaks or interruptions now; Scyther needed help immediately, and Mark wasn't about to let him down. Pausing just long enough to readjust his backpack, the trainer set off at a pace as fast as he could manage.

* * *

"Agent 402, what have you to report?" The addressed operative struggled to remain calm as the man on the videophone screen waited for an answer. 402 was particularly displeased at his failure, seeing himself as being above that kind of thing; then again, having no idea how the higher ups would react might have also had something to do with it. Taking a deep breath, 402 finally managed to begin speaking.

"In accordance with our mission, we tracked down one Mark Rowley en route to Vermillion City. Upon finding him, we managed to separate him from his Pokemon and proceeded to send our own in to detain him. However..."

_The Agents found 432's Girafarig in the middle of a large, grassy clearing. The unconscious Pokemon had a twisted ankle, and a massive bruise covering most of the side that was visible marked a spot where several ribs had been fractured._

_Agent 402's Primeape was found tangled in the trunks of two trees, and singed spots peppered his fur. The fighting-type twitched occasionally, but not much due to its cramped position and its half-conscious state._

_The curled up form of Agent 407's Raticate was at the base of a tree, cracked spots in the tree's trunk indicating that he had been slammed into it with impressive force. Both of the rat's sides were forming large bruises, and he was bleeding from several spots where the bark cut into him._

_A large pile of fallen branches and debris marked the area where Agent 432's Ledian was found. The bug-type had small dents all over its exoskeleton, and a particularly large indentation in her chestplate._

_407's Roserade was fairly easy to find, as the area all around it was devastated to being nearly unrecognizable. The unconscious grass-type was prone on the ground, a peaceful-looking smile showing on his face despite laying in a small pool of his own blood._

_402's Charmeleon was eventually found in the middle of another clearing, next to a section of forest with numerous scorch marks. His front was nearly covered in small bruises, and his jaw was broken._

"However, our Pokemon were all defeated. The mission was a complete failure." Silence settled over the area as the three Agents waited anxiously for an answer from the man on the screen. Of course, it lasted only a matter of seconds before the massive form of 407 shot forward, his insistent voice booming out.

"But we'll keep trying, sir! No matter how long it takes, we'll get him! Even if we have to follow him to the ends of..."

"You will do no such thing." The authoritative command from the other end of the line promptly shut the large man up, and the businesslike voice continued. "You will receive a week of leave for you and your Pokemon to recover, and you will then be expected to proceed to your next mission immediately afterwards. Are you clear on that?" Knowing better than to answer any other way, the three agents answered in unison.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Upon terminating his connection with Agents 402, 407, and 432, the man dialed in another number. Within moments, the screen of the videophone brought up the image of a shadowy figure; the being was silent, obviously waiting for man who called to begin. With a nearly emotionless, businesslike tone, the man did just that.

"I have just received word from 402's team; it seems that they were unsuccessful in capturing Mr. Rowley. Those three should have been enough for the job according to the report I had received from Scout 32, but it appears that I had misjudged the rate of his progress." The shadowy man was silent for a moment, apparently considering the information he was just given before he finally spoke.

"Your recommendations?"

"We could try again, I suppose. However, I believe that most of the agents we have that are higher ranked than 402 are needed for more important tasks right now. If you think that it is really necessary, I could reassign some tasks to Agent 289 in order to free up a few Agents for a second attempt."

"No, that won't be necessary. Based on his background, it's unlikely that he will be able to deduce anything important about us at this time. We will postpone Mark Rowley's capture for the time being."

"As you wish, sir."

* * *

In the Vermillion City Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy and her Chansey were enjoying a fairly uneventful evening. True, the nurse enjoyed healing Pokemon more than just about anything else, but there was a certain satisfaction in knowing that all of the Pokemon in the area were perfectly healthy. With little else to do, Joy busied herself by going over a recent medical report featuring new psychological treatments for schizophrenic Exeggutor.

However, the woman was soon distracted from her reading when the doors leading into the Center burst open. Joy's eyes widened as the newcomer stumbled through the doorway; the man was, to put it kindly, a wreck. From the looks of him, it seemed as though he had bathed in a mud pit and tried to dry himself off with a patch of bushes; as he lurched closer to the counter, the large bags under his eyes became more evident, as well as telltale signs of overexertion and lack of food.

Though Joy found it odd that a man in his condition would come to the Pokemon Center rather than the hospital, she was never one to turn away a patient, Pokemon or human. However, when the nurse begin to come out from behind the counter to help the newcomer, she was stopped when she heard a loud 'thump' coming from the counter. As she turned around, she found that a Pokemon Trainer's belt had been thrust onto the counter, the five pokeballs attached to it the only clean items she had yet to see on the man's person. With that, the trainer turned toward her, his worn and exhausted face intense as he weakly spoke.

"Help them..." As though the need to say that had been the only thing keeping him going, his eyes immediately rolled into the back of his head, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.


End file.
